Nervenarzt
Volume 52, Issue 3, 1981, Pages 153-162

Depressive diseases in Swabians and German refugees. An epidemiological approach to the question of greater disposition of Swabians to melancholia [DEPRESSIVE ERKRANKUNGEN BEI SCHWABEN UND HEIMATVERTRIEBENEN. EIN EPIDEMIOLOGISCHER BEITRAG ZUR FRAGE DER HOHEREN NEIGUNG DER SCHWABEN ZUR MELANCHOLIE] (Article)

Gestrich J. , Schied H.W. , Blank W. , Weise W. , Heimann H.
  • a Abt. Allg. Psychiat., Univ. Nervenklin., Tubingen, Germany
  • b Abt. Allg. Psychiat., Univ. Nervenklin., Tubingen, Germany
  • c Abt. Allg. Psychiat., Univ. Nervenklin., Tubingen, Germany
  • d [Affiliation not available]
  • e [Affiliation not available]

Abstract

The assumption, repeatedly advanced in the literature that Swabians are more inclined to melancholia than other Germans, was tested in an epidemiological study which historical events rendered possible. 1153 depressive patients hospitalized in the University Psychiatric Clinic of Tubingen between 1961 and 1968 were divided into Swabians and German refugees, and the proportions of endogenous and reactive depressions in both groups were determined. Among the refugees, 60% of the depressions were reactive and 40%, endogenous; among the Swabians, the inverse proportionality was observed. Among the Swabians, the proportions of endogenous depressions running a monopolar course was twice as high as among the refugees. Where bipolar depressions were concerned, the two groups did not differ. The proportion of refugees among the clinical material was in agreement with their proportion of the general population in the territory involved. Possible social, hereditary and characterological causes of the dissimilarity of the distribution are discussed.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Short Survey central nervous system depression epidemiology Refugees middle aged Ethnic Groups Aged geographic distribution Depressive Disorder bipolar disorder Germany, West Humans Adolescent male female Psychotic Disorders race melancholia major clinical study adult ethnic or racial aspects german federal republic
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0019510860&partnerID=40&md5=0fc50ef65294f419508a7bf85f989011
ISSN: 00282804
Original Language: German