“Psychogenic needs” in patients with affective disorders

Abstract

To investigate the occurrence of different psychogenic needs or groups of needs, 118 consecutive out-patients with previous depressive disorders were asked to complete the Cesarec and Marke Personality Inventory; 103 completed it. Strict diagnostic criteria were used in subgrouping the series which thus consisted of unipolar depressive psychosis (UP), 26 patients; bipolar depressive psychosis (BP), 16; unclassified depression (NUD), 8; and reactio neurotico-depressive (RND), 15. BP distinguished themselves from the other groups by a tendency to have a reduced need of approval, dependency, guilt feelings and ego conflicts and a stronger wish to dominate and lead. These results are in line with earlier findings. The NUD group was small but tended to have extreme scores, i.e. a particularly weak need to dominate and to be in the centre but also to be cared for.