SteckB, Kappos L, Bürgin D. [Psychosocial impact of multiple sclerosis on family and children]. Schweiz Arch Neurol Psychiatr 1999;150:161-68. Based on the investigation of 52 families and 84 offsprings by means of semi-structured interviews and psychological tests we analyse the difficulties of coping with a chronic somatic disease of parents with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their children. The psychosocial impact of MS on partner relationship, family dynamic, parenthood and -function,

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... ation and relationship between parent and child is addressed. As a consequence of the confrontation with the parental disease offsprings manifest psychosomatic symptoms, hypochondrial complaints, fears of death, loss and transmission. Children and adolescents are emotionally overburdend as a result of conflict avoidance tendency of their parents and a lack of assistance. Our results show the importance of a joint mourning process of the parents and an open communication about the emotional experience of the illness situation for the psychosocial development of offsprings. We conclude that -from the time of the diagnosis -the patient and his family should be introduced to members of a multidisciplinary team (including psychotherapist and social worker) who can eventually provide services as needed.