[Social representation of a psychoanalytical concept: what is the popular meaning of an "unconscious conflict"?].
OBJECTIVE
A majority of the population regards unconscious conflict as a possible cause for depression or schizophrenia. We examine to what extent people associate psychoanalytical concepts with this term.


METHODS
Population-based telephone survey (n = 1010), open questions about the meaning and origin of the term unconscious conflict.


RESULTS
5 % gave a definition with clearly psychoanalytical elements, another 13 % perceived an internal conflict. 24 % thought of a conflict between persons, 23 % had no answer. Regarding the origin of the term, 4 % associated Freud or psychoanalysis, 27 % psychology. For both questions, answers closer to Freudian ideas were more common in West compared to East Germany.


CONCLUSIONS
A concretised understanding far from Freud's original conception of unconscious conflict dominates, which is even stronger in the former communist parts of Germany. Psychoanalytical terms do not necessarily carry a psychoanalytical significance with the public.
Schomerus
Georg
G
Universität Leipzig, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie, Leipzig. georg.schomerus@medizin-uni-leipzig.de
Heitmann
Sabine
S
Matschinger
Herbert
H
Angermeyer
Matthias C
MC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003210:Concept Formation; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003625:Data Collection; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005619:Freudian Theory; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011639:Public Opinion; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014473:Unconscious, Psychology