Doctrine of psychopathies: the concept of M.O. Gurevich and M.Ja. Serejskij

Abstract

Understanding of psychopathies in the concept of Russian psychiatrists M.O. Gurevich and M.Ja. Serejskij is analyzed. These authors considered that the principal difference exists between neuroses and psychopathies (neurosis is a reversible disorder capable for development in normal personality). They used two systematics of psychopathies: the first one was focused on the rubric «Psychopathic personalities» of the last lifetime edition of E. Kraepelin's Textbook of Psychiatry, herewith the authors negated the existence of the «antisocial» psychopathy type, instead reckoning to psychopathies the perversions of drives. The second systematics of psychopathies represented the development of E. Kretschmer's constitutional typology, however, M.O. Gurevich, M.Ja. Serejskij, besides the psychopathies of schizoid and cycloid circles, also singled out epileptoid, hysteroid psychopathies, psychasthenia and sexual perversions. The authors believed that the polarity and contrast of character's properties are inherent to four types of constitutional psychopathies, including schizoid, cycloid, epileptoid and hysteroid. The concept of M.O. Gurevich and M.Ja. Serejskij is compared with preceding concepts of psychopathies, including P.B. Gannushkin and their contemporary V.A. Gilyarovsky.