[Not Available].

Abstract

Using the data basis of the Mannheim Cohort Study the present paper investigates the correlation between socio-economic Status and psychogenic impairment due to predominantly psychosocially influenced ("psychogenic") disorders (neurotic spectrum disorders, personality disorders, stress reactions and somatoform disorders) in a representative adult Community sample. The period of observation amounted up to 11,1 years. Subjects investigated within our follow-up study for this interval (n=301) were drawn from an representative adult Community population sample (N=600). Within the three step class model members of the lower class were at all investigation time points significantly stronger impaired compared to the members of the middleand upper class. Investigating the clinical impairment related to the intragenerative class mobility those subjects, which could achieve a social rise between two points of investigation were even prior, to the first investigation time point, less affected compared to the ones remaining in their social class. Vice versa subjects in the process of an social decline presented a stronger psychogenic impairment prior to their decline compared to those, which remained stable in their social class. These dynamic correlations offer evidence for the effect of the socalled "drift-hypothesis", which postulates, that persons due to their disease decline in their social Status respectively after improving rise to a higher social class.