Constitutional Psychoses

CONSTITUTIONAL PSYCHOSES, a term comparatively rarely used at present, which designates predominantly non-progressive forms of mental disorders developing in psychopathic personalities on the basis of constitutional predisposition. Historically, the concept of constitutional psychoses arose in close connection with the theory of degeneration: it was assumed that degeneration leads to the formation of psychopathic constitutions, and on this soil constitutional psychoses develop. [This name was thus often used in a sense identical to the concept of degenerative psychoses.] Practically, when speaking of constitutional psychoses, one usually has in mind manic-depressive psychosis, paranoia, hysterical psychoses, delusional fantasies of degenerates, impulsive insanity, and sometimes also certain obsessive states and sexual psychopathies. From the list it is evident that this term is empirical and cannot claim scientific significance.