Lobotomy at a state mental hospital in Sweden. A survey of patients operated on during the period 1947-1958.
This retrospective survey aims at describing patients subjected to prefrontal lobotomies and the general treatment conditions at Umedalen State Mental Hospital during the period 1947-1958. Data collected from psychiatric and surgical medical records was analysed using quantitative and qualitative content analysis. A total of 771 patients subjected to lobotomy during the years 1947-1958 were identified. From these, a sample of 105 patients was selected for the purpose of obtaining detailed data on socio-economic status, diagnosis, symptomatology, other psychiatric treatments applied before the pre-frontal lobotomy operation, time spent in hospital before operation, praxis of consent and mortality. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was found in 84% of the 771 lobotomized patients. The post-operative mortality was 7.4% (57 deaths), with the highest rate in 1949 (17%). The mean age of the patient at the time of operation was 44.8 years for females and 39.5 years for male patients. The average length of pre-operative time in hospital for females was 10.7 years and for males 3.5 years. It remains unclear why this mental hospital conducted the lobotomy operation to such a comparatively great extent. Factors such as overcrowding of wards and its status as a modern mental hospital may have contributed.
Ogren
Kenneth
K
Department of Clinical Science, Division of Psychiatry and Department of Culture and Media, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. kenneth.ogren@psychiat.umu.se
Sandlund
Mikael
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006760:Hospitalization; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000266:history* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006783:Hospitals, State / Q000266:history* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000601:surgery*; D011612:Psychosurgery / Q000266:history* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history* / Q000601:surgery*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012923:Social Class; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology