Aspects of mental health were investigated by means of interviews and register data in 34 men operated on for hypospadias in childhood and in 36 matched control subjects. Most hypospadiacs adjust well both in childhood and adult age. However, they reported more neurotic disturbances in their childhood than the controls. Shyness and enuresis were common troubles among the probands, and they had been more timid, isolated and mobbed. Similar although less striking differences in mental health were reported also in adult age. Depression and anxiety were dominating symptoms. The interviewer assessed the hypospadiacs to show more anxiety and to use more immature defence mechanisms and consequently to have less stress tolerance. The probands were further judged to have less capacity for social relations and their overall capacity to utilize existent psychological resources was small as compared to the controls. The findings indicate that hypospadiacs are more prone to neurotic (but not psychotic) disturbances than other young men and have more disturbed social relations. The need for psychological guidance for the boys and their parents is stressed.

No abstract

Twelve schizophrenic patients were treated with neuroleptic drugs and psychoanalytically oriented group therapy during a period of 2 years. Twelve other patients, matched with regard to the state of their disease, sex, age, civil status and social situation, were given neuroleptic drugs and contact therapy during the same period. All patients were evaluated by the same test procedures. The Rorschach test, the Defence Mechanism Test (DMT), interviews and a self-evaluation test, were performed before and after 2 years of treatment. The dates of discharge, number of days in hospital and neuroleptic drugs prescribed were recorded for all patients over a 2-year period before, during and after treatment. Half of the patients improved, regardless of the treatment they received. No evaluation instrument used before the start of treatment could predict the patients who later improved. After 2 years of treatment, it was assessed that the patients who improved required a further period of insight therapy.

Serum levels of LH, FSH, prolactin and androgens were assayed in 33 adult men operated for a penile malformation (hypospadias) in childhood and in 34 matched controls. Two cases of severe hypospadias had signs of hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism. Three moderately severe cases possibly had a central relative androgen receptor insensitivity. Patients had lower levels of 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone in serum, unrelated to the severity of the hypospadias. The hypospadias patients have previously been shown to be more neurotic and inhibited both socially and sexually than the controls, which might be related to defective androgenic functioning. Relations between androgen levels and psychological variables were studied. Low testosterone levels were related to higher hostility scores in Rorschach. Relations between androgens and other personality characteristics could not be shown.