Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-wzw2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-01T00:54:02.742Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Current status of psychiatric research in Denmark

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2020

Erik Strömgren
Erik Strömgren*
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Hospital, DK-8240, RisskovDenmark
Get access

Summary

Certain demographic characteristics, including the limited size and stabiliiy of the population of Denmark, account for the development of genetic, epidemiological and prospective studies in the Danish psychiatric research context. Moreover, despite the predominance of biological psychiatry, psychotherapy arouses the interest of young psychiatrists.

Research is especially concentrated in university centers such as Copenhagen, Aarhus and Odense. The Institute of Psychiatric Demography, directed by Annalise Dupont, is responsible for centralizing data concerning hospitalized patients. It lias thus been possible to carry out longitudinal studies of patients presenting manic-depressive disorders, schizophrenia and mental retardation, as well as surveys on the prevalence of suicide according to region, and genetic studies based on the observation of monozygotic twins. The studies on schizophrenia particularly deal with the incidence of cancer and the influence of life events. The cytogenetics laboratory, directed by Johannes Nielsen, is especially concerned with the follow-up of 25,000 children born in the Obstetrics Department of the Aarhus University Hospital.

There are numerous other areas of research: comparative studies of the ICD 8 and the DSM III; studies dealing with the use of lithium in affective disorders; studies on the response to and modes of action of electroconvulsive therapy; ongoing studies of neurotic patients, conducted for more than 20 years; surveys on the efficacy of psychotherapy in schizophrenic patients.

The existence of benzodiazepine receptors was discovered by the research cenrter of the St Hans Hospital in Copenhagen. Current research at this center is devoted to the study of dopamine receptors, the relations between LSD receptors and serotonine, and study of the GABA System.

Although research is thriving in Denmark at present, it is threatened by a reduction in credits; the author analyzes the reasons behind this threat.

Résumé

Résumé

Certaines caractéristiques démographiques, parmi lesquelles la taille réduite et la stabilité de la population du Danemark, sont à l'origine du développement des études génétiques, épidémiologiques et des études prospectives de la recherche psychiatrique de ce pays. Par ailleurs, malgré la prédominance de la psychiatrie biologique, la psychothérapie suscite l’intérêt des jeunes psychiatres.

La recherche est surtout concentrée dans les centres universitaires comme Copenhague, Aarhus et Odense. L'Institut de Démographie Psychiatrique, dirigé par Annalise Dupont, est un organisme dont la tâche est de centraliser les données concernant les malades hospitalisés. Ainsi ont pu être réalisées des études longitudinales de patients atteints de troubles maniaco-dépressifs, de schizophrénie, de déficience intellectuelle, ainsi que des enquêtes concernant la prévalence du suicide selon les régions et des études génétiques à partir des observations de jumeaux monozygotes. Les études consacrées à la schizophrénie concernent en particulier l'incidence du cancer et l'influence des événements vitaux. Le laboratoire de cytogénétique, dirigé par Johannes Nielsen, étudie particulièrement le suivi des 25 000 enfants nés dans le service d’obstétrique du centre hospitalo-universitaire de Aarhus.

Existent également de nombreuses autres recherches : études comparatives de l'ICD 8 et du DSM III, études consacrées à l’utilisation du lithium dans les troubles affectifs, à la réponse et au mode d'action de la sismothérapie ; étude prospective des malades névrosés portant sur plus de vingt ans, enquêtes sur l’efficacité de la psychothérapie des schizophrènes.

L’existence des récepteurs aux benzodiazépines a été découverte par le centre de recherche de l’hôpital St. Hans, de Copenhague. Actuellement les chercheurs qui y travaillent se consacrent à l'étude des récepteurs dopaminergiques, aux relations entre les récepteurs du LSD et de la sérotonine, au système GABA.

La recherche, actuellement florissante au Danemark, est cependant menacée par une réduction de crédits. L ‘auteur de l'article en analyse les raisons.

Keywords

DemographyFollow-upGeneticsResearchDémographieSuiviGénétiqueRecherche
Type
Research Article
Information
Psychiatry and Psychobiology , Volume 2 , Issue 2 , 1987 , pp. 128 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References/Bibliographie

Barner-Rasmussen, P. -Suicide in psychiatric patients in Denmark, 1971-81. II. Hospital utilisation and risk groups. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1986; 73: 449-455.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bech, P. - Rating scales for affective disorders: Their validity and consistency. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1981; 64, suppl. 295: 1-161.Google ScholarPubMed
Bech, P., Hippius, II. eds . - Joining to gether clinical assessment Systems for depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1983; 68, suppl. 310: 1-130.Google Scholar
Bertelsen, A., Harvard, B., Hauge, M. - A Danish study of manic-depressive disorders. Br J Psychiatry 1977; 130: 330-351.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bøjholm S., Strömgren, E. - Brevalence of schizophrenia in 1935 and 1983. Comparison of two census studies. In press 1987.Google Scholar
Dahl, V., Hallum, E., Larsen, E.W. - A 30-year followup study of a child psychiatric clientele. In: Juel-Nielsch, N. & Wang, A.G. eds: Trends in scandinavian psychiatry. Ideas, Odense 1986.Google Scholar
Dupont, A. - A national psychiatric case register as a tool for mental health planning, research, and administration. In: Laska, E.M., Gulbinat, W.H. & Regier, D.A. eds.: Information support la mental health programs. An international perspective, pp 257-274, Human Sciences Bress, New York, 19X3.Google Scholar
Dubont, A. - Mental health information Systems. In: Mental health services in pilot study areas. WHO, Geneva, 1987.Google Scholar
Dubont, A., Møller Jensen, O., Strömgren, E., Jablensky, A. - Incidence of cancer in patients diagnosed as schizophrenic in Denmark. In: Tenhorn, G.H.M.M., Giel, R., Gubinat, W.H., Henderson, J.H: Psychiatric case registers in public health. Elsevier, Amsterdam, New York, Oxford, 1986.Google Scholar
Fischer, M. - Psychoses in the offspring of schizophrenic monozygotic twins ans their normal co-twins. Br J Psychiatry 1971; 118: 43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fischer, M. - Genetic and environmental factors in schizophrenia. A study of schizophrenic twins and their families. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1973; suppl. 238: 1-158.Google ScholarPubMed
Fremming, K.H. - Sygdomsrisikoen for sindslidelser og andre sjœlelige abnormtilstande i den danske gennemsnitsbefolkning. Munksgaard, Copenhagen, 1947. Translation: The expectation of mental infirmity in a sample of the Danish population. Cassell, London, 1951.Google Scholar
FÆrgeman, P.M. - De psykogene psykoscr belyst gennem katamnestiske undersøgelser. Munksgaard, Copenhagen, 1945.Google Scholar
FÆrgeman, P.M. - Psychogenic psychoses. A description and follow- up of psychoses following psychotogical stress. Butterworths, London, 1963.Google Scholar
Hauge, M., Harvard, B., Fischer, M., Gotlieb-Jensen, K., Juel-Nielsen, N, Raebild, I., Shabiro, R., Videbech, T. - A Danish twin register. Acta Genet Med (Roma) 1968; 17: 315-332.Google ScholarPubMed
Jacobsen, E. - Psykoneuroser. Munksgaard, Copenhagen 1965.Google Scholar
Jensen, E.B. - Is ‘schizophrenia, schizo-affective type’ a useful diagnosis? Ten years experience from Danish psychiatric hospitals. Eur Arch Psychiatry Neurol Sci 1984; 234: 285-289.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kolmos, L., Bach, E. - The reliability of the Scandinavian suicide rates. In: Juel-Nielsen, N. & Wang, A.G. eds: Trends in Scandinavian psychiatry, Ideas, Odense, 1986.Google Scholar
Lund, J. - Mentally retarded admitted to psychiatric hospitals in Denmark. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1985; 72: 202–205.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mednick, S.A., Schulsinger, F., Higgins, J., Bell, B. eds. - Genetics, environment and psychopathology. North-Holland/American Elsevier Publishing Co., Amsterdam, Oxford/New York, 1974.Google Scholar
Munk-Jørgensen, F.: The schizophrenia diagnosis in Denmark Acta Psychiatr Scand 1985; 72: 266-273.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Munk-Jørgensen, P. -Schizophrenia in Denmark. Incidence and utilization of psychiatric institutions. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1986; 73: 172–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nielsen, J. ed. - The Danish cytogenetic central register. Organization and results. In: Becker, P.E., Lenz, W, Vogel, F. & Wendt, G.G. eds.: Topics in human genetics. Vol. V. Georg Thieme, Stratton, New York, Thieme-Stratton, New York, 1980.Google Scholar
Nielsen, J., Nielsen, J .A., Kastrup, M. & Strömgren, E. eds. - The Samsø project. A community psychiatric Project in a geographically delimited population. Acta Jutlandica LV1981, Med. Ser. 23, Aarhus.Google Scholar
Schou, M. - Lithium research at the psychopharmacology research unit, Risskov, Denmark: A historical account. In: Schou, M. & Strömgren, E. eds.: Origin, prévention and treatment of affective disorders, pp. 1-8, Academic Press, London, New York, San Francisco, 1979.Google Scholar
Strömgren, E. -Changes in the incidence of schizophrenia? Maudsley Lecture 1985 - Br J Psychiatry 1987; 150: 1-7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Theilgaard, A., Nielsen, J., Sørensen, A., Frøland, A., Johnsen, S.G. - A psychological-psychiatric study of patients with Klinefelter's syndrome, 47, XXY.Acta Jutlandica XLIII : I . Universitetsforlaget, Århus; Munksgaard, Copenhagen, 1971.Google Scholar
Theilgaard, A. - A psychological study of the personalities of XYY- and XXY-men. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1984; 69; suppl. 315: 1-133.Google ScholarPubMed
Weeke, A. - Causes of death in manic-depressives. In: Schou, M.Strömgren, E. eds.: Origin, prevention and treatment of affective disorders, pp. 289-299, Academic Press, London, 1979.Google Scholar
Weeke, A. - Admission pattern and diagnostic stability among unipolar and bipolar manic-depressive patients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1984; 70: 603-613.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weeke, A., Strömgren, E. - Fifteen years later. A comparison of patients in Danish psychiatric institutions in 1957, 1962, 1967, and 1972. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1978; 57: 129-144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization - The international pilot study o f schizophrenia. Vol. 1. WHO, Geneva, 1973.Google Scholar
World Health Organization - Schizophrenia. An international follow-up study. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, New York, Brisbane, Toronto, 1979.Google Scholar
World Health Organization - A report on the WHO collaborative study on determinants of outcome of severe mental disorders. Psychol Med 1986a; 16: 909-928.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization; Life events and schizophrenia. A report from the WHO collaborative project on the determinants ol outcome of severe mental disorders. In press as a supplement to Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 1986b.Google Scholar
World Health Organization - Incidence of cancer in patients diagnosed as schizophrenic in three countries. A case register study. WHO, Geneva, 1986.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.