Layer theory (Jaspers)

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The layer theory according to Karl Jaspers describes the diagnostic priority of certain symptoms when making a psychiatric diagnosis, which can be derived from a large number of symptoms. The triadic system of psychiatry can be viewed as a sequence of hierarchically structured layers. It is an illustration. In the case of a large number of different disease symptoms, these layers lie on top of one another like levels. The different layers are represented by the from top to bottom

  1. Neurotic symptoms as a variation of the personality, its development and its situation-related experience and behavior
  2. Endogenous symptoms, as they are decisive for the types of cyclothymia and schizophrenia
  3. Organically justifiable symptoms (brain-specific and brain-participating symptoms).

The decisive factor for the diagnosis are the symptoms of the deepest or lowest organic layer (third layer) to which a respective symptom can be assigned. It is assumed that the more causally effective causes of the disease are to be regarded as decisive. Endogenous symptoms (second layer) have an intermediate position between the clearly organic disease causes of the third layer and the only understandable symptoms of the first layer. Gerd Huber also sees the shift rule as a reference to the concept of unit psychosis with a continuous series of transitions from the manic-depressive to the schizophrenic pole.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jaspers, Karl : Allgemeine Psychopathologie . Springer, Berlin 9 1973, ISBN 3-540-03340-8 ; Cape. Nosology page 512 f.
  2. ↑ Huber, Gerd : Psychiatry. Systematic teaching text for students and doctors. FK Schattauer, Stuttgart 1974, ISBN 3-7945-0404-6 ; Cape. A. The Triadic System of Psychiatry, page 11; Cape. II. 1. Cyclothymia page 126