Family environments of depressed outpatients.

The present study assessed the family environments of 43 depressed patients treated in an outpatient clinic. All family members 11+ years of age were administered the Family Environment Scale. Results showed that perceptions of the family environment were not statistically different from a normative sample. Differences among unipolar, bipolar and secondary affective disorder groups also did not attain statistical significance. On the other hand, current symptomatology among patients was associated with negative perceptions of the family environment.