Parental attitudes recollected by patients and neurotic disorders picture. Sexuality-related and sexuality-unrelated symptoms

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the risks associated with non-optimal characteristics of the picture of parents in the patient's memories, concerning the sexuality-related symptoms and other areas of neurotic disorders.METHODSCoexistence of memories of parental attitudes and the current symptoms were analyzed on the basis of KO"0" Checklist and Life Inventory completed prior to treatment in the day hospital for neurotic disorders.RESULTSIn questionnaires, obtained from 2582 females and 1347 males between 1980-2002, there was a significant incidence of memories of adverse parental attitudes, the feeling of not being loved, the parent indifference, rejection. Regression analysis showed a significant relationship between the parental attitudes and symptoms, for instance reluctance of men to sexual contacts coexisted (OR = 3.41) with hostile mother's attitude, the same association in women was weaker (OR = 1.64) but still significant. Also, the absence of mother in childhood was associated with a risk of disruptions in the conduct of intercourse (erectile dysfunction or pain) in women (OR = 2.43) and men (OR = 3.29). Other analyzed symptoms, also sexuality -unrelated, though weaker and less frequently, were associated with non-optimal pictures of parents, e.g. pessimism in women with the hostile mother (OR = 1.97). Higher global severity of symptoms was associated with non-optimal parental attitudes.CONCLUSIONSThe type of recollected attitudes of parents was associated with a higher incidence of symptoms, primarily in the field of sexuality, and with other selected symptoms, as well as with higher global symptom level. The results indicate importance of life circumstances in the development of psychopathology and encourage to further research.