The origin of genograms

Genograms were invented by Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson and popularized through the publication "Genograms: Assessment and Intervention" in 1985. 

The usage of genograms

Genograms are used in medicine, psychology, sociology, genetic studies, and sociograms to indicate a patient's family dynamics and history, which may have influenced the patient's current state of mind.

They embrace basic data (name, gender, date of birth, and date of death) of each family member and additional extended data such as education, occupation, chronic illnesses, social behaviors, family, emotional, and social relationships. Some of them also contain information about disorders such as addictions, depression, diseases. However, there is no right and wrong in creating genograms, as there is no limitation regards the type of data they can include.