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Perception of rearing circumstances relates to course of illness in patients with therapy-refractory affective disorders.

Ehnvall A, Palm-Beskow A, Beskow J, Agren H

Research and Development Unit, Varberg Hospital, SE-432 81 Varberg, Sweden. anna.ehnvall@lthalland.se

BACKGROUND: Qualitative aspects of childhood experiences are believed to have an impact on course in affective disorder. Does perception of parental rearing correlate to persistence of affective illness? METHODS: In retrospective life charts were recorded every previous illness episode for 38 consecutive patients with treatment-refractory affective disorder. A semi-structured interview was used for collecting information about perception of parental rearing. RESULTS: Ten patients perceived themselves as "unwanted" during childhood, and 28 as "wanted". These former were found to have a more malignant illness course, as measured by total days in illness, percent of life in illness, and illness days per episode. LIMITATIONS: The patient sample was small and the findings require replication. CONCLUSIONS: Perception of not having been wanted by parents during upbringing might be an important vulnerability factor in the persistence of depressive symptomatology into adult life.

Published 6 June 2005 in J Affect Disord, 86(2): 299-303.
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