Affiliations: Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Klinik für
Psychotherapie und Psychosomatische Medizin, Karl-Tauchnitz-Str. 25, 04107
Leipzig. | Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Abteilung für
Psychosomatik und Psychotherapeutische Medizin, Dermatologie, Hauptstr.8, 79104
Freiburg. | ZEPT – Zentrum für Psychotherapie,
Scheuchzerstr. 8, CH-8006 Zürich. | Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Selbständige
Abteilung für Medizinische Psychologie und Medizinische Soziologie,
Stephanstr. 11, 04103 Leipzig.
Note: [] Korrespondenzadresse: Cornelia Albani, Universitätsklinikum
Leipzig, Klinik für Psychotherapie und Psychosomatische Medizin,
Karl-Tauchnitz-Str. 25, 04107 Leipzig. E-mail: albc@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Abstract: Studies about the mental health in physicians and medical students
show a high prevalence of depressive and abusive disorders and an increased
risk of suicide. This is especially true in females. We propose the assumption
that maladaptive feelings of guilt may contribute to the observed
vulnerability. The objective of the study was to compare feelings of guilt in a
sample of medical students with a sample of psychotherapy patients and a
representative sample of the German population. A total of 1089 subjects filled
in a previously published questionnaire measuring feelings of guilt on three
subscales: (1) guilt about having survived, (2) guilt about a separation, and
(3) guilt about a feeling of responsibility. The total score is highest in
psychotherapy patients. In accordance with our expectation, however, female
students show about the same amount of guilt as the psychotherapy patients in
the third subscale. This may contribute to an increased mental
vulnerability.
Keywords: interpersonal guilt questionnaire, medical students, psychotherapy patients, German population
