[In the shadow of the parades: memories of an instrumentalized psychiatry in the GDR].

IF 1.1 4区医学 Q4 CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Nervenarzt Pub Date : 2025-08-28 DOI:10.1007/s00115-025-01892-w

Ekkehardt Kumbier, Lillian Osel, Olaf Reis, Kathleen Haack

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective: Based on contemporary witness statements, the study examines how employees in the psychiatric institutions of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) dealt with mentally ill people at social events.

Methodology: In this study 63 contemporary witnesses who worked in psychiatric institutions in the GDR were interviewed. The interviews were evaluated qualitatively.

Results: The interviews show that there were restrictions and admissions for certain social events, such as national holidays or state visits, that were not medically indicated. These instructions were handled differently. Noncompliance with these instructions was largely not reported as having serious consequences.

Conclusion: People with mental illnesses were supposed to be kept away from public events during certain social events. The staff in psychiatric institutions dealt with this differently. This indicates a certain degree of flexibility. The removal from society represents a stigmatization of mentally ill people. Psychiatry in the GDR was also instrumentalized for political purposes.

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[在游行的阴影下：德意志民主共和国工具化精神病学的记忆]。

目的：基于当代证人的陈述，本研究考察了德意志民主共和国（GDR）精神病院的雇员如何在社会活动中处理精神病患者。方法：本研究采访了63名在德意志民主共和国精神病院工作的当代证人。对访谈进行了定性评价。结果：访谈显示，某些社会活动，如国家法定假日或国事访问，在医学上没有指征的情况下，有限制和准入。这些指令的处理方式不同。不遵守这些指示基本上没有报告有严重后果。结论：在某些社会活动中，精神疾病患者应该远离公共活动。精神病院的工作人员对此的处理方式不同。这表明了一定程度的灵活性。脱离社会是对精神病患者的一种侮辱。在德意志民主共和国，精神病学也被用于政治目的。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Nervenarzt 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

2.50

自引率

18.20%

发文量

169

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： Der Nervenarzt is an internationally recognized journal addressing neurologists and psychiatrists working in clinical or practical environments. Essential findings and current information from neurology, psychiatry as well as neuropathology, neurosurgery up to psychotherapy are presented. Review articles provide an overview on selected topics and offer the reader a summary of current findings from all fields of neurology and psychiatry. Freely submitted original papers allow the presentation of important clinical studies and serve the scientific exchange. Review articles under the rubric ''Continuing Medical Education'' present verified results of scientific research and their integration into daily practice.