[Necessity and difficulties of involvement of family members in the psychotherapy of psychosomatic patients].

Based on the particular problems which appear in psychosomatic patients the aim of the psychotherapeutic treatment of these patients is described. By inpatient group psychotherapy, a personality development is started that subsequently has to be continued in the real life situation of the patients. It is demonstrated which difficulties are brought about by the continuation of this development during subsequent outpatient treatment and how these difficulties can be overcome more easily by involving members of the family. The physical recovery aimed at may thus be achieved by a better compensation of defects in the primary psychic development of the psychosomatic patients.