Illness and family functioning: theoretical and practical considerations from the primary care point of view

The way in which the family copes with and adapts to illness of one of its members has a strong impact on the physical and psychosocial well-being of all members and on the shape and duration of the clinical course of the illness itself. The family doctor therefore should be able to evaluate the families' adaptation to illness and to promote successful coping strategies where necessary. This review illustrates how the family doctor's evaluation of the illness impact on family functioning is facilitated by a family developmental approach and by the use of a psychosocial classification scheme of illnesses.