Background: Covers two years experience of family visits (FV) as a routine fixture at a psychiatric ward in a General Hospital. Patients and methods: in the course of one year 98 visits took place involving a total of 481 contacts between therapists, patients, and relatives, 269 patients participated up to 10 times in FV. A total of 566 family members participated, the bulk of them partners, mothers and children. Each RI contact is restricted to 20 minutes, but can be repeated as often as desired. An ever recurrent theme is the question family members ask as to the causes of the patients condition and how they can expedite the healing process and ensure compliance. The 269 FV patients do not differ markedly from the other patients concerning age, sex, diagnosis and treatment time. Conclusion: FV are experienced by patients and relatives as positiv and enriching. For psychiatric workers an ideal way to learn the psychotherapeutic rudiments.
