[The significance of familial relationship dynamics for the success of inpatient treatment in child and adolescent psychiatry].

A sample of 131 consecutively hospitalized psychiatric inpatients (adolescents of 12 years and older) was investigated with regard to the question of whether family relationship variables influence therapy outcome. Before the beginning of treatment, the familial relationship structure, specifically bonding behavior and rejecting/detachment behavior in the interactions among father, mother and adolescent, was investigated. The clinical rating scales used yielded values representing directed relationship characteristics of the family triad. These relationship values were used as prognostic variables for prediction of therapy outcome, which was assessed independently of the family diagnostic ratings. The results show that the relationship dynamics in the family have a high prognostic value with regard to changes in symptoms during therapy. Several different prognostically relevant characteristics of the relationship structure could be identified.