MIND AND ULCER

Abstract

Among 2,619 patients admitted to a medical department for duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer and ulcer dyspepsia without ulcer demonstrable by x-ray, admissions to psychiatric departments were investigated. A total of 20.4% of the patients had at some time during their lifetime been admitted, but no significant differences were observed in percentage among the three ulcer groups or the sexes. The incidence of psychoses was close to the expected, whereas neuroses among women and neuroses and psychopathy among men were far in excess of the expected. Among those operated on, the percentage of persons admitted to a psychiatric department was greater than among unoperated patients and their number of admissions per 100 observation years were significantly greater than for unoperated patients, within well-defined observation periods. For patients operated on, only men with duodenal ulcer had significantly more admissions per 100 observation years in the postoperative than in the preoperative period. The course of the disease was more severe for patients with duodenal and gastric ulcer admitted to a psychiatric department than for those not admitted, but the subjective status at the time of the follow-up did not differ between the two groups. Among men, there were a number of heavy drinkers, especially among those operated on.