[Object related function of pain and depression].

The paper describes possible psycho-dynamic connections between the complex relations of depression and pain with regard to the classical conversion theory of Freud as well as modern narcissistic approaches. According to our clinical experience the inner organisation of pain which most regularly appears during long-term illness is formed in compliance with the pattern of an "inner object choice". The pain thus is functioning as a personalized, imaginary internal object. Such an "internal structuring" has a depression reducing quality. An empiric pilot study on 37 patients with chronical though only partly proved body pain reveals that the psychic organisation of pain as an inner object is joined with significantly lower depression scored according to Beck-Depression-Inventory (BDI). Simultaneously the infirmity period is prolonged considerably. The consequences of these findings for the practical psychotherapeutic work will have to be discussed.