PSYCHIC DISORDERS - STABLE MENTAL-HEALTH AND CHRONIC ILLNESS IN GENERAL-POPULATION - A 10-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

In a comparison of extreme groups 124 german inhabitants of the city o f Mannheim were investigated. They descended from a representative sam ple with 600 persons out of 3 years of birth (1935, 1945, 1955) in the general population (psychotic disorders were excluded). They were wit hin a period of 10 years either in stable mental health or in chronic illness. The comparison between this two groups concerned demographic variables, development during childhood, personality, stressfull life events, social network and clinical data. The ascertained prevalence i s 12,7% (from n=600) for stable mental health and 3,5% for chronic ill ness. The group with the highest risk of chronic diseases is those of women and men with bad achievement and small social competence.