[Etiology and therapy in anorexia nervosa (author's transl)]

ASPERGER (1963) mentioned as a very important etiological aspect of anorexia nervosa a desintegration of intellectual and thymical functions causing the fact, that these patients are not able to accept the role of an adult, especially that one of a woman. We discuss that statment in connexion with ERIKSON'S (1974) concept about "ego-identity" ("Ich-Identitat") and "negative-identity" ("negative Identitat"). The pathological family-structure seems to reinforce the situation and the existence of inadequate behavior of patients with anorexia nervosa, who are often introverted and predestinated for conditioning. The therapy of these patients should focuse on the development of ego-identity, including the treatment of the family members, the modification of the inadapted behavior and a special endocrinological therapy.