[Forensic psychiatric aspects of sterilization]

How great the risk is that important and long-lasting psychic disturbances persist after sterilization cannot be forecast with certainty, even today. Increased susceptibility to abnormal psychic reactions and developments after sterilization is to be contemplated with certain personalities with overconscientious, asthenic or depressive traits. It is usually a matter of internal conflict situations at the level of self-esteem which, however, depend not only on the initial personality, but to a large extent are repeatedly reactualized through the behavior and reaction of the persons in the environment, so that finally mental developments arise which reach into the abnormal. This risk must be included in the calculation when making the indication and requires particular attention, because the legal effectiveness of the consent to sterilization is also dependent on the completeness of the advice on the consequences of this surgical operation.