This manual details how to write a case report that uses the biopsychosocial approach in understanding and analyzing a patient’s disease in the context of the family in crisis. It begins by describing the illness characteristics of the index patient - the onset, course, prognosis, and family illness trajectory. The family structure and dynamics are then identified using various family assessment tools such as genogram, APGAR, SCREEM-RES, lifeline, family map, etc. Lastly, the physician formulates a family diagnosis: the presence of alliances and coalitions, the family’s strengths and coping mechanisms, how they adapt to the changes brought by the illness, etc. These data help the physician effectively engage the family as a source of support for the management of illness.

Family Structure