Married Couples Admitted to Mental Hospital

A number of studies have demonstrated that married pairs in which both partners have, or have had, a psychological illness are substantially commoner than would be expected by chance. These have been reviewed elsewhere (Kreitman, 1964; Nielsen, 1964). In most of these investigations the findings have been analysed in terms of “neuroticism” or of nonspecific “mental illness” without reference to diagnosis, and detailed attention has rarely been given to any other clinical features.