[The family and schizophrenia. An interactional study]

The analysis of family discussions in which father, mother and schizophrenic son participated revealed marked differences in the interactional styles of both parents. Whereas the fathers of the schizophrenic patients behaved much like fathers of sons with an acute surgical disease, The mothers did show varying emotional reactions, communicational deviances, and changes in role behavior. These results are interpreted in the context of different sex-role related patterns of burden and coping styles.