title: [Is it possible to have a medical definition of family crisis?].
abstract: In our contemporary society, the traditional multi-generational family has to adapt and to organize itself around a smaller nucleus: "The nuclear family". Nowadays, the management of the crises which accompany significant Life Events (such as birth, marriage, retirement, death...) within this new family-system, is refrained by the lack of "relays" which were previously provided by the "enlarged family". In the absence of available relatives (that is, grandparents, cousins, etc...), it is now the Medical System which is addressed with the demand for help. Using worthy contributions of the systemic theories, the authors analyze the ambiguity of such a request and the paradox underlying it, namely, to take care of a "normal" family crisis. They emphasize two major dangers consisting of the "designation" of an identified patient and the risk of "phagocytosis" of the therapeutic system by the family system.
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nancy, Service de Psychologie Médicale, Hôpital Jeanne d'Arc, France.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Witkowski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laxenaire
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003419:Crisis Intervention; D005190:Family; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008875:Middle Aged; D009679:Nuclear Family; D012017:Referral and Consultation
vernacular_title: Peut-il y avoir une définition médicale de la crise familiale?