Untreated Psychiatric Disability: A Study of Disabled Persons with Major Psychiatric Health Impairment,Having Never Received Psychiatric Treatment

Abstract

The presented investigation, from a county seemingly representative of the average for Norway, showed that at least 15% of male Disability Pensioners with a psychiatric primary diagnosis, become pensioned without having had any psychiatric treatment. The purpose of the investigation was to describe this group of untreated psychiatric disabled, both numerically and regarding social, personal and nosological factors. It was found that the absence of treatment was due not to lack of opportunity, but to the pensioner's own attitude, a stubborn resistance to being defined as a psychiatric patient. This is enhanced by a general tendency in our culture to choose, when possible, the role of a somatic patient rather than that of a psychiatric patient. The untreated group of male Disability Pensioners had a normal distribution of social status and stability, and showed a strong preponderance of neurosis-like conditions, combined with pains and other symptoms from the musculo-skeletal system in 51% of the clients. Among War Pensioners there were also found many untreated psychiatric disabled, especially ex-wartime seamen, showing a surprisingly constant syndrome of mixed anxiety and asthenia. The material comprised 150 males, 101 applicants for Disability Pension and 49 for War Pension, all untreated.