Genogram
A genogram is simply a pictorial display of a patient's family relationships and medical history. It can provide a quick and useful context in which to evaluate an individual's health risks. Knowledge of diseases and conditions that occur within a family can give a health care team invaluable information that may aid in a swift, accurate diagnosis and treatment of health problems. And, a knowledge of diseases and illnesses that "run" in families can give individuals an important head start in pursuing effective preventive measures. A genogram is helpful in determining patterns of disease or illness within a family. Genograms can include many generations, however four generations may prove to be enough detail.
Genograms were first developed and popularized in clinical settings by Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson through the publication of a book titled Genograms: Assessment and Intervention in 1985. Genograms are now used by various groups of people in a variety of fields such as genealogy, medicine, psychology, social work, genetic research, education, and many more.
A genogram is created with simple symbols representing the gender, with various lines to illustrate family relationships. Figure 1 illustrates basic genogram symbols with various types of individuals.
Genogram symbols will usually have the date of birth and date of death above, if applicable, and the name of the individual underneath. The inside of the symbol will hold the person’s current age or various codes for genetic diseases or user-defined properties.
A genogram can contain a wealth of information on the families represented. It will not only show you the names of people who belong to your family lineage, but how these relatives relate to each other. For example, a genogram will not only tell you that your uncle Paul and his wife Lily have three children, but that their eldest child was sent to boarding school, that their middle child is always in conflict with her mother, that their youngest has juvenile diabetes, that Uncle Paul suffered from depression, was an alcoholic, and a philosopher, while Aunt Lily has not spoken to her brother for years, has breast cancer and has a history of quitting her jobs. Figure 2 illustrates that genogram.
One of the advantages of a genogram is the ability to use colour-coded lines to define different types of relationships such as family relationships, emotional relationships and social relationships. Within family relationships, you can illustrate if a couple is married, divorced, common-law, engaged, etc. Figure 3 illustrates the symbols commonly used for family relationships.
