[Social-psychiatric research in Germany--a literature review].

Objective: This study aims at analysing content, authorship, type of journal and associated institution of scientific contributions on social psychiatry in 16 German-speaking journals. In order to detect development and change in respect to the aspects mentioned, two time periods are compared systematically (1997-1998/2007-2008).

Methods: The authors selected all original papers in 16 journals from German-speaking countries along common definitions of social psychiatry. These definitions are made transparent in the study.

Results: The systematic comparison of the named time periods resulted in equal numbers of papers contributed. The major part of the publications under study has been contributed by authors associated with universities. Content-wise, articles on matters discussed in the recent past and including topics like migration, subjectivity, parent-child care are increasing.

Conclusions: Research on social psychiatry in German-speaking countries today is mainly related to research departments at university clinics. The impact of large centres of psychiatry however is declining. Content-wise, matters at stake during the reform period of psychiatry in German-speaking countries in the 1970 s and 1980 s are of less relevance today. Researches now tend to address research topics more closely related to what can be named patient-centred care.