[Traces of the 2nd World War. The relationship between childhood experiences and mental health in advanced age].

Based on the results of the Mannheim Cohort Study, a possible causal relationship between childhood experiences and the long-term course of predominantly psychosocially influenced disorders was examined, focussing on global development terms and war experiences. A sample of 26 individuals born in 1935 was investigated over a period of approximately 25 years. Psychosomatic impairment was assessed using a standardized expert rating (BSS impairment score) with high reliability. We found strong evidence that global development terms make an impact on mental health in advanced age. The amount of war experiences was not correlated with psychosomatic impairment in later life. Furthermore, war-determined fathers' absence during childhood was not a predictor of psychosomatic impairment in later life. Methodical problems and consequences of these findings are discussed. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.New York.