[Enduring structure of the "depressive personality" in lithium prophylaxis. With special reference to the social...

A group of patients with endogenous depressive disorders at the beginning of a lithium treatment (Li group I) is compared with a second group of patients with the same diagnosis, who can be called lithium responders (Li group II). These two groups are compared in regard to their relationship to their relevant social partner, based on the 'self-concept' and 'ideal self-concept' obtained by means of the Giessen test. Li group II shows significant deviations only in scale 4 of the Giessen test, while the partner group II does not differ essentially in its profile from the partner group I. These findings will be used as a working hypothesis.