Family treatments of schizophrenia: background and state of the art.

Schizophrenia, as a failure to achieve maturity and independence, has always had distressing effects on a patient's family. Unfortunately, scientific theories that propose the family itself as a contributing factor have eroded the alliance between professionals and family members and added to the burden of family guilt. The initiative in designing family therapy for schizophrenia began among an early group of innovators who subscribed to strong family-theory ideologies. Today a more pragmatic group, trained in various research methodologies, has taken the lead. The authors discuss the historical development of family therapy for schizophrenia and review new programs including relatives' groups, psychoeducational family therapy, and strategic and systemic approaches.