Hospital Treatment of Patients with Psychoneurotic Disorders

Abstract

1. A study of 100 psychoneurotic women patients admitted to the New York Hospital, Westchester Division between 1927 and 1937 has been made. 2. A review of the family background revealed that these individuals came pre-dominantly from large families in which mental illness was present frequently among the antecedents (in 68 cases). 3. An analysis of the life histories revealed that the group as a whole enjoyed good physical health in infancy, but that they tended to be tense and insecure as indicated by the presence of neurotic traits in infancy in over one-half the cases. Half the patients were outgoing sociable and had many interests and these tended to do better under treatment than the other half who displayed narrowing of interests and shut-in personalities. 4. The study of the present illness demonstrated that: (a) Psychoneuroses tend to be of long duration before hospital treatment is instituted. (b) Identification with close relatives suffering from serious physical or mental illness was an etiolo...