[Changed perception in depressive diseases--an overview].

Abstract

This paper attempts to give a comprehensive survey of the disturbed perception in depressive disorders. Therefore results from clinical psychopathological research as well as from experimental studies are presented. Introductory remarks consider problems of this task that arise from the missing consistent definition of perception and the manifold classifications of affective disorders. Phenomenology and anthropological interpretations of the disturbed time- and space-experience are the main topic. Among the alterations of the subjective time-experience disturbances of "erlebnisimmanente" time and reference to the future (according to Straus and v. Gebsattel) are of special importance. Up to now studies on the time estimation of depressive patients that can be located at the interface between phenomenologically deducible subjective and experimentally determinable objective time-experience have shown different results.--The detailed description and analysis of the disturbed space-experience goes back to Tellenbach, who demonstrates applicable structures for this as well as consequences for the existential determination of life.--Furthermore disturbances of self-perception in patients with depressive disorders and their alienation of the perceptual world in its wholeness are demonstrated. The discussion of the so far reported results takes special account of their diagnostic value and calls for clinical and experimental procedures first of all at continuing the differentiated and by means of replication studies substantiated apprehension of perceptual disturbances.