[The current family situation from the child psychiatrist's viewpoint and its effects on the personality development of the child].

The report discusses three aspects of the modern family situation: 1. Stability and continuity of the current family situation in today's West Germany: the woman is subject to contradictory expectations from the society which seems to contribute to the ambivalence of the mother-child relationship as well as to the tendency of misinterpreting the child as a substitute for own needs. 2. Child abuse as an extreme example for a distorted family life: Exaggerated and illusionary presumptions about the child and the intact family life lead to traumatising experiences in the family. 3. Family and chronic illness of a child: Without the involvement and commitment of the family the scientific programs in medicine will not lead to advanced medical treatment.