[The Psychiatry Enquiry and its Impact as Reflected in Oral History Interviews].

Abstract

This article examines the impact of the 1975 expert report on psychiatric care in Germany (Psychiatry Enquete) through the analysis of oral history interviews. From the memories of contemporary witnesses, we reconstruct their perspectives on the reform process surrounding the Psychiatry Enquete and its effects. Our aim is to contribute to a nuanced understanding of the Enquete and its complex effects on psychiatric practice and reform dynamics.This article analyses participants' perceptions and patterns of interpretation through 28 interviews with those involved in post-war psychiatry. A secondary analysis of the interviews allows aspects of the Enquête that have not been adequately addressed to be captured and new research perspectives to be developed, taking into account ethical and data protection standards.There was a tension between the effects of the Enquete documented in the literature and the memories of the contemporary witnesses. On the one hand, the memoirs emphasised the Enquete as a significant turning point in the reform process of psychiatry, while on the other hand, in retrospect, other voices criticised shortcomings in the implementation of the Enquete and the reforms that followed. These included inadequate representation of certain stakeholder groups and a lack of historical reflection.Although the interviews do not specifically address the impact of the Enquete, they do demonstrate its lasting influence on institutional and personal developments. In retrospect, the Enquete as a central reform step in West Germany is also integrated into the professional thinking and self-image of the interviewees in the sense of a narrative of progress.