[Psychiatric illness from a multi-generational perspective: results of a longitudinal study with children and grandchildren of hospitalized depressed patients].

: In a longitudinal empirical study data from three generations were gathered: Generation 1: formerly depressive patients, who had been treated as inpatients; generation 2: children of these patients; generation 3: grandchildren of the former patients. The first investigation of the children was carried out in the seventies, the follow-up-assessment of children and grandchildren was done in 1996. In the follow-up-study the meanwhile grown-up children of the depressive patients showed to a high degree psychic disturbances and were in treatment because of these problems. The majority of the grandchildren showed no relevant deviations. The severity of the depressive illness (in generation 1) and the psychopathological status of the former inpatient's spouse proved to be relevant prognostic factors with regard to the long-term development and resilience of children and grandchildren.