Physically manifested illness in children and adolescents - A biobehavioral family approach

This article presents a family systems approach to the assessment and treat ment of children and adolescents with physically manifested illness. A biob ehavioral continuum of psychologically and physically manifested disease is offered to replace the false dichotomy of organic versus psychological ill ness. The Biobehavioral Family Model, an empirically validated model of the mutual influence of family relational patterns and childhood illness, orga nizes the treatment approach. The Family Process Assessment Protocol provid es a method of diagnosing the child's illness in the context of family rela tional functioning. Two cases, a child with conversion disorder and a child with asthma, illustrate this approach. Additional family systems approache s are referenced in a table with citations.