Couples and family therapists have long known that intrapersonal difficulties are played out in, and exacerbated by, problems in interpersonal relationships. Despite the clinical importance of identifying and treating dysfunctional relationship patterns, traditional classification schemes - like the DSM-IV and ICD - have long neglected the relational component of mental health. In this study, family clinicians and researchers present a clinically-based typology of relational disorders. They examine the role of diagnosis in couples and family therapy, and offer clinical criteria for diagnosing...

Praise for Serious Mental Illness and the Family "Serious Mental Illness and the Family is unique in building assessment, intervention, and collaborative strategies around specific types of clinical cases and life scenarios. The book will be an invaluable aid to mental health professionals working with severely ill clients and their families." --Harriet P. Lefley, PhD Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Miami School of Medicine "Dr. Marsh is very knowledgeable about families, yet is also very compassionate in her approach to the experience of families who are...