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

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?

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.

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.

The patient sample was small and the findings require replication.

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.