So far the main emphasis of the discussion has been on the mothers and fathers as individuals in terms of their background, their mental health, their attitudes to each other and towards their children. In order to understand the family background of our young patients and controls in any dynamic sense, however, we need also to study the most vital relationship at the heart of every family-the marital relationship of the parents. Reference has often been made to these relationships in order to illustrate the ways in which the parents' personalities expressed themselves. In this chapter the nature of the marital relationship itself is the main focus, though the personalities and needs of the parents are regarded as important determinants of the nature and quality of the relationship.