FROM THE PRESIDENT
Functioning Families
Medical genetics is the exciting new specialty of medicine that refers to
the causes and tendencies of inherited diseases. Baylor has recently made
an investment to hire more genetic counselors. These counselors assist
physicians and their patients in the interpretation of this data.
When a patient fills out a questionnaire about their family’s health history, several fancy algorithms will
statistically determine their predisposition for certain diseases. It’s a powerful diagnostic tool that becomes
less expensive and more accurate each year.
On a parallel note, I read an interesting article in The New York Times titled: “The Stories that Bind Us.” It
describes the stunning breakthroughs in how to make families, and other groups, work more effectively. A
central theme emerged: the single most important thing you can do for your family may be to develop a
strong family narrative.
After all the “closeness” experienced by millions of families during the Thanksgiving holiday, I was
anxious to read on. The research used a “Do You Know” scale comprised of 20 questions seeking
knowledge about family history. The list of questions tested knowledge about things that children could not
have learned firsthand because they happened before they were born, or they involved family members that
were less familiar to them than their parents or grandparents.
The children would therefore have to receive this knowledge from others through stories, writing or other
indirect sources. They included questions, such as: Do you know where your parents met? Do you know
where your grandparents grew up? Do you know the source of your name? Do you know the sum of the
lessons that your parents learned from good or bad experiences?
The psychologists came to an overwhelming conclusion. The more children know about their family’s history,
the stronger their sense of control over their lives and the higher their self-esteem. These families were more
functional. The “Do You Know” scale turned out to be a strong predictor of families’ and children’s emotional health
and happiness.
Researchers have found that every successful family has a unifying narrative. Each knows it belongs to
something more significant than itself.
After reflection I concluded that the more we know about both the objective (genetic) and the subjective
(familial) issues that affect every family, the more we can do to take steps to promote health ... in every
sense of the word.
Rowland K. Robinson
President
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