[Psychosomatic differentiation between colitis ulcerosa and ileitis terminalis (Crohn disease)]

The discussion on the differentiation of colitis ulcerosa and ileitis terminalis (M. Crohn) respectively has not as yet been settled in regard to their psychosomatic aspects. This study attempts to examine differences in the psychic manifestation occasionally discussed in the literature and in the clinical environment with the aid of psychological tests and data won by means of semi-standardized interviews. The results support the hypothesis that there are differences in the psychic structures of the patients from the two samples. Patients suffering from colitis ulcerosa show a closer resemblance to one another than the M. Crohn patients. The general impression is that they area "more normal" and better adjusted. Among the M. Crohn patients a difference must be made between an older, depressive part of the sample, and a younger, more active group with pronounced dependency conflicts. The connections with psychodynamic interpretations are discussed.