1. INTRODUCTION During the last years, Children and Adolescent Psychiatry has experienced a growth in the rates of children consulting for mental disorders. Alteration in family functioning and structure may cause a negative impact on children and adolescent psychological adjustment, being this fact related to the increase in the number of colsultations (1). INTRODUCTION During the last years, Children and Adolescent Psychiatry has experienced a growth in the rates of children consulting for mental disorders. Alteration in family functioning and structure may cause a negative impact on children and adolescent psychological adjustment, being this fact related to the increase in the number of colsultations (1). Graph 1. Family functioning according to fathers (FAD) * METHOD Parents of children attending for first time to the Children and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit at the Department of Psychiatry at the University Hospital of Navarra or at the General Pediatrics Department of the same institution were invited to fill in a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Family Assessmente Device (FAD), and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III). Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS (v. 15.0) program. METHOD Parents of children attending for first time to the Children and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit at the Department of Psychiatry at the University Hospital of Navarra or at the General Pediatrics Department of the same institution were invited to fill in a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Family Assessmente Device (FAD), and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III). Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS (v. 15.0) program. OBJECTIVES To compare family functioning and structure between families with and without a child affected with a psychopathological disorder. OBJECTIVES To compare family functioning and structure between families with and without a child affected with a psychopathological disorder. RESULTS We analysed a sample of 124 married couples with a child affected with a psychopathological disorder, and 46 marriages without any psychologically disordered child. Parents of disordered children had been married for a mean of approximately 15 years (SD:+ 5.8) and those of healthy children had been married for a mean of approximately 9 years (SD:+ 5.4). Statistically meaningful differences were found between fathers from both groups in the “Global Functioning” subscale measured by the FAD (2) (Graph 1). In the case of mothers, the “Roles” and “Global Functioning” FAD subscales revealed statistically meaningful differences (p<0.05) between both groups (Graph 2). Finally, the FACES III (3) “Cohesion” subscale displayed statistically meaningful differences (p<0.05) also between mothers from both groups (Figure 1). RESULTS We analysed a sample of 124 married couples with a child affected with a psychopathological disorder, and 46 marriages without any psychologically disordered child. Parents of disordered children had been married for a mean of approximately 15 years (SD:+ 5.8) and those of healthy children had been married for a mean of approximately 9 years (SD:+ 5.4). Statistically meaningful differences were found between fathers from both groups in the “Global Functioning” subscale measured by the FAD (2) (Graph 1). In the case of mothers, the “Roles” and “Global Functioning” FAD subscales revealed statistically meaningful differences (p<0.05) between both groups (Graph 2). Finally, the FACES III (3) “Cohesion” subscale displayed statistically meaningful differences (p<0.05) also between mothers from both groups (Figure 1). CONCLUSIONS Fathers of disordered children refer a worse global functioning in their families. Mothers of disordered children refer greater difficulty to allocate roles, and an alteration in emotional links between family members. CONCLUSIONS Fathers of disordered children refer a worse global functioning in their families. Mothers of disordered children refer greater difficulty to allocate roles, and an alteration in emotional links between family members. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.Report on the Evolution of the Family in Europe 2008. Institute of family Politics 2008. 2.Epstein NB, Baldwin LM & Bishop DS. The McMaster Family Assessment Device. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 1983; 9: 171- 180. 3.Olson DH, Portner J, Lavee Y, Fischer J& Corcoran K. Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales. Measures for clinical practice: A sourcebook. 2nd Ed (2 vols). New York: Free Pr. V. 1, Pg. 235-238. 1986. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.Report on the Evolution of the Family in Europe 2008. Institute of family Politics 2008. 2.Epstein NB, Baldwin LM & Bishop DS. The McMaster Family Assessment Device. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 1983; 9: 171- 180. 3.Olson DH, Portner J, Lavee Y, Fischer J& Corcoran K. Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales. Measures for clinical practice: A sourcebook. 2nd Ed (2 vols). New York: Free Pr. V. 1, Pg. 235-238. 1986. Figure 1: Adaptability and cohesion according to the mothers (FACES-III) Mothers of psychiatry Mothers of pediatrics EXTREME MEDIUM BALANCED High Low 4 FLEXIBLE CHAOTIC COHESIONHighLow FLEXIBILITYFLEXIBILITY RIGID STRUCTURED 8 7 6 5 3 2 1 DISENGAGED SEPARATED CONNECTED ENMESHED Graph 2. Family functioning according to mothers (FAD) * * PS1.25 DIFFERENCES IN FAMILY STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONING BETWEEN FAMILIES WITH DISORDERED AND HEALTHY CHILDREN BARAS PASTOR L., CANO PROUS A., MARTÍN LANAS R., AUBÁ GUEDEA E., BEUNZA NUIN M. Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology. University Hospital of Navarra. Spain.