[Literature and schizophrenia. Research trends and research tasks]

Research on schizophrenia and on the psychopathology of creativity is increasingly absorbing and transforming insights from literature (Büchner, Celan, Kafka, Proust) and literary aesthetics. This development is discussed against the background of the history of psychiatric research. Regarding contemporary research trends, special emphasis is placed on communication theory as presented by the Palo Alto group (double bind theory), anti-psychiatry (Cooper, Laing), French structuralism (Foucault, Lacan), and on schizoanalysis (Deleuze and Guattari). Traditional concepts of mental health and illness are called into question.