[The problem of cyclic basic structure of neurotic disorders]. / Zur Frage einer zyklischen Baisisstruktur neurotischer Störungen

The working hypothesis could be confirmed that a nuclear syndrome (Basis-syndrom) consisting of alterations in drive and mood as well as in autonomic activation, possibly contributing to neurotic disorders, is independent of such factors as sex, education, premorbid personality, duration of illness, age at onset of the illness, social mobility during the illness, number of pregnancies, family history, occupation, marital state, social class compared with that of parents, social contacts, or past physical illnesses. It was shown in a sample of 50 neurotic outpatients that the factor 'past illnesses' influenced the number of vegetative sumptoms prior to therapy. The effect of psychotherapy on psychic and vegetative disturbances was greater in women with children, i.e., not in occupations. In patients whose social class was not changed during the illness, the number of vegetative symptoms diminished more than in the others. In all the other cases, improvement was not related to the factors mentioned. This can be interpreted as supporting the hypothesis.