[The importance of proficiency in the German language in development and treatment of psychiatric diseases].

The study investigates the relations between proficiency in German language and manifestation and course of psychiatric diseases in migrants from Eastern Europe. Analyses were conducted for all migrants, who were treated in the local psychiatric state hospital between 1990 and 1996. Results showed that migrants with low language proficiency fall sick earlier, are admitted to the hospital faster and are kept in hospital treatment longer than those with good German language proficiency.