Care of the insane in Lübeck during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Only selected aspects of the history of the House of the Poor Insane in the Hanseatic Free City of Lübeck have been studied to date.This article presents the results of an entire source study of this small institution in the 17th and 18th centuries, and briefly also during the next 40 years after the opening of a new building. In addition to the minute-book of the Governors, now kept in the Lübeck Municipal Archives, the results are based primarily on the account-books,which illustrate the institution's social history and activities.

The Upper Bavarian longitudinal community study on psychopathology 1975-2004: 1. Methods and first results.

Objective: This paper presents background information on the methods and first results of the 25-years follow-up of the prospective longitudinal Upper Bavarian Study in the community. Longitudinal epidemiological studies which cover very long time spans require special methods. Issues concerning these requirements are discussed using design and experiences from the Upper Bavarian Study.

Self-rated general health and psychiatric disorders in a general population sample.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between nicotine and alcohol dependence, depressive, anxiety and somatoform disorders with self-rated general health (GH). A cohort study of a random sample of the non-institutionalised general population aged 18-64 with a participation rate of 70.2% was carried out in a German area (n = 4075 at baseline).

Specific somatoform disorder in the general population.

The authors assessed the validity of the recently proposed diagnosis for specific somatoform disorder in the general population. German versions of the DSM-IV adapted Composite International Diagnostic Interview were administered to a representative sample of 4075 individuals. Multivariate analyses were used to compare impairment, life satisfaction, and use of health care.

Somatoform pain disorder in the general population.

Background: Chronic pain disorder is assumed to represent a frequent and disabling condition. However, data on the prevalence of somatoform pain symptoms and somatoform pain disorder in the community are limited to date.

Methods: German versions of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview were administered to a representative national sample of 4,075 people.