[Socio-psychological concepts of status, role and norm, and systemic mechanisms in the psychotic family].

Socio-psychological contributions can improve the systemic approach to family therapy. For instance, the notions of "role", "status" and "norm" discussed in this paper, can be applied to the concept of "identified patient". This appears to be the only pathological designation, as role assignment per se is not necessarily abnormal. It is suggested that pathogenic mechanisms playing a part in psychotic families, can also be used therapeutically. Family therapy tends to confirms the principle that small group norms are more readily modified than those of single individuals.