ANDROGYNAE, 17 KETOSTEROID EXCRETION AND M-f PROFILE IN MENTAL ILLNESS.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Endocrinology
• Anthropology

Background:

• Historically, physical abnormalities were linked to mental illness.
• Recent focus is on the degree of masculinity or femininity in an individual's constitution.
• The androgynae index quantifies this constitutional masculinity/femininity using Taner's formula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between physique, androgenic activity, and personality in psychiatric patients.
• To determine correlations between androgynae scores, 17 ketosteroid excretion, and the M-F profile of the MMPI.
• To explore the implications of these parameters in understanding mental illness.

Main Methods:

• Calculation of the androgynae index from Taner's formula.
• Measurement of 17 ketosteroid excretion levels.
• Assessment of the Masculinity-Femininity (M-F) profile using the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory).
• Comparison of these parameters between psychiatric patients and a control group of normal individuals.

Main Results:

• Psychiatric patients presented with significantly lower androgynae scores compared to normal individuals.
• Conversely, psychiatric patients exhibited higher levels of 17 ketosteroid excretion than the control group.
• No significant differences were observed in the M-F profile of the MMPI between psychiatric patients and controls.

Conclusions:

• The study found an unexpected inverse relationship between physical masculinity (androgynae) and androgenic activity (17 ketosteroid excretion) in psychiatric patients.
• The findings suggest complex endocrine and constitutional factors may be involved in mental illness.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the interplay between physique, hormonal activity, and personality in psychiatric conditions.