[Self concept and parental images in patients with affective disorders--a clinical study with the Giessen Test]

The relationship between self, ideal self and normative self was studied in a sample of 139 patients with affective disorders and 73 patients with orthopaedic complaints. The depressive patients showed significant-asymmetric relationships between self and ideal self even after recovery from the clinical depression. Neurotic depressive patients could be distinguished from unipolar depressive patients in this regard. The self-concept of the depressive patients was characterised by means of the bipolar Giessen-test dimensions "insufficiency of performance", "lack of social adjustment" and "lack of social contact" and by means of the GT-dimensions "negative social resonance" and "depressive mood". There were no specific relationships between self-image and parental images in the depressive sample. The results underline the necessity of therapeutic interventions in depressive patients during the so-called symptom-free interval.