Genograms

A genogram chart is a great way to show relationships between people. Mainly used by mental health experts, this diagram can help identify positive and negative influences surrounding an individual. I found the genogram to be an excellent way to show your medical history. Some people like text but I prefer a picture. Click here to see a more complete diagram.

The genealogy, or medical history, genogram does not need the images to show behavior and influence used by mental health professionals and social workers.

The purpose of diagramming your medical history is to show what genetic traits may have been passed from one generation to the next... to show what conditions might affect you or your children. Many find a 1 or 2 page diagram easier to understand than your doctor's forms.

This is my only interest in the genogram chart. I am not a mental health professional. My original idea, and introduction to "drawing" my medical history came from Family Diseases - Are You At Risk? by Myra Vanderpool Gormley [Genealogical Publishing Company]. I recommend this book to anyone interested in their family medical history.

Getting Started

You need to collect your genealogy and medical history notes about the person that you are planning to show, his or her spouse(s) and children (if any), parents, and grandparents.

You need the following information for each person to be included on the diagram when preparing a genealogy genogram:

• Name
• Sex -- male=square, female=circle, unknown=triangle
• Birth date or year
• Marriage date or year for each spouse, and date of divorce (if applicable)
• Date or year of death
• Cause of death
• Hereditary or potentially hereditary conditions
• Occupation -- dangerous work, such as coal miner, can contribute to disease, etc
• Military service -- can expose a person to unsanitary conditions; US Civil War veterans suffered a high degree of dysentery; US Viet Nam veterans have a higher rate of Hepititis C

Don't get stuck in the details or organizing them. Do that while you are creating the chart.

Draw the chart

When drawing a genogram by hand, I use the following symbols. Most, though, I use a software program.

Genogram Symbols

Symbol	Definition
	Living male.
	Deceased (dead) male.
	Stillborn male.
	Living Female.
	Deceased (dead) female.
	Stillborn female.
	Living person whose sex is not known.
	Deceased (dead) person whose sex is not known.
	Stillborn person whose sex is not known.
	A solid horizontal line between a male and female indicates a legal marriage.
	A dashed horizontal line between a male and female indicates the couple are living together, but have not married.
	A "backward" single slash through the marriage (or living together) line indicates the couple separated but did not pursue any legal procedure, such as divorce.
	A "forward" single slash through the marriage line indicates the couple have filed legal papers for separation.
	A double slash through the marriage line indicates the couple obtained a legal divorce.
	Biological children are indicated by a solid line descending from the marriage (or living together) line.
	Adopted children are indicated by a dashed line descending from the marriage (or living together) line.
	Foster children are indicated by a dotted line descending from the marriage (or living together) line.
	Identical twins are indicated in two ways: The line descending from the marriage (or living together) line starts from the same point. A horizontal line connects both children.
	Fraternal twins are indicated when the line descending from the marriage (or living together) line starts from the same point. The children are not connected. This convention can also be used to indicate triplets, etc.

Add Notes

The genogram diagram is further documented using the notations listed below.

How do I read the diagram?

In the example at right see James CRAWN was born in 1811 and died in 1883. His parents were Peter CRAWN, lived from 1770 to 1842, and Euphemia Huff, who was born in 1773 (but we do not know when she died).

This diagram does not include why the person died but it does show how to start a diagram.

Click here for a larger diagram.

Example

In this example, we see a family with one daughter. William Keen was born in 1796, married Elizabeth Huff in 1819, and died in 1880 at the age of 84.

Elizabeth was born in 1794 and died in 1883 at the age of 89.

They had a daughter named Sarah Ann Keen about 1821. Saray died in 1898 at the age of 77.

Is there software to help?

Yes. Genogram software for professionals an be expensive. I found and really like GenoPro because it is easy to use and affordable.