Mental Disorders in People Affected by Thalidomide

Alexander Niecke1, Klaus Peters, Christina Samel

  • 1Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Cologne; Department of Orthopedics and Osteology, Dr. Becker Rhein-Sieg-Klinik Nümbrecht; Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology and Institute for Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology, University of Cologne; Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences; Institute of Medical Sociology, Health Services Research, and Rehabilitation Science (IMVR), University of Cologne & University Hospital Cologne.

Summary

Thalidomide survivors experience mental disorders twice as often as the general population. Despite high need, psychosocial healthcare utilization remains low, indicating a significant unmet need for specialized services.

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