[Family Psychiatry - The Attachment-Focused, Systemic-Oriented, Integrative Concept of the Family Therapy Centre (FaTC), an Acute Multi-Family Day Clinic].

Abstract

Family Psychiatry - The Attachment-Focused, Systemic-Oriented, Integrative Concept of the Family Therapy Centre (FaTC), an Acute Multi-Family Day Clinic Up to three quarters of the children of mentally ill parents develop a mental disorder during their lifetime. The transmission occurs essentially through dysfunctional interaction and disturbed attachment. Parent-child interaction is characterized by a vicious circle of escalating symptoms in the child and increasing helplessness in the parents. For this family psychiatric approaches are helpful, which address the interaction in addition to the individual disorders. The Family Therapy Centre (FaTC) Neckargemünd offers family psychiatric, integrated therapy for parents and children in an acute day clinic multi-family setting. The basic therapeutic principles are attachment orientation, mentalisation and systemic perspective with a multi-family therapy approach. Typical family psychiatric case constellations are presented, for which the concept seems particularly helpful: (1) Early childhood regulatory disorders in interaction with mentally ill parents, (2) mother with PTSD and expansive-aggressive preschool child and (3) adolescents with separation anxiety and depressive-anxious mother. The previous experiences are reflected by a moderated focus group of the entire FaTC team. The FaTC concept was evaluated as very helpful. It was positively judged that the family system is visibly present on site (and not only virtually). The focus is on interaction, therefore causal therapy can be offered rather than symptomatic treatment. Limitations of the concept are therapy of severely aggressive adolescents or parents who do not want to participate. The concept of the FaTC is currently being scientifically evaluated.