There are few methods available for an objective and scientific assessment of the body image. We used a new method for measuring the body image, using a colored TV system.A video-camera for colored vision is connected to a 20 inch TV monitor. On a monitor is displayed the picture of the studied subject. The subject can adjust the size and height/width proportions of the picture on the monitor and the deviations from correct measures can be read directly by means of electrical instruments. Frontal and profile estimates of overall body size were obtained from 13 previously-anorexic bulimics, 14 abstaining anorectics, 12 recovered anorectics and 22 normals. Normal controls overestimated both frontal and profile body size, and wished to be thinner than their perceived actural size slightly.Some of the bulimics overstimated both frontal and profile body size to a significantly greater extent than normal controls, whereas some of them underestimated both frontal and profile body size. All bulimic subjects wished to be significantly thinner than their perceived actual size and were significantly more dissatisfied with their perceived body size than either of the control groups or the abstaining anorectics.Abstaining anorectics under treatment underestimated both frontal and profile body size and wished to be fatter, but to a lesser extent than the actural ideal body size. Abstaining anorectics, whose body weight was within normal limits after treatment, had the normalized body image.

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One hundred and thiry nine children with asthma, aged 6 to 12,were studied by the Takaki's personality test for children. The results are as follows : 1) Children aged 6 to 9 had scarcely personality bias, whereas those aged 9 to 12 had many kinds of personality bias.2) Boys aged 9 to 12 with severe asthma had a tendency of being more exhibitionistic in spite of being more dependent, regressive and not so self-controlling and at the same time they were apt to be more unsociable and less adjusted to school. It was regarded that in boys with asthma various kinds of conflicts caused by above mentioned personality bias were related to the aggravation of asthma.3) Girls aged 9 to 12 with severe asthma tended to be more self-controlling, independent, sociable, as well as more adjusted to home, in spite of being more nervous, emotionally unstable and maladjusted to school. It was assumed that because girls with asthma were more sensitive to emotional stress and had a tendency to suppress the expression of their own emotions, the state of stress would be converted into asthma as physical symptoms.4) It was regarded that recurrent asthmatic attacks would also contribute to the cause of their personality bias. In other words, their asthma and personality bias were mutually entangled in a vicious circle, restluing in the fixation of severe asthma as well as the fixation of personality bias which tended to cause maladjustment.5) Comprehensive medicine and education is required for asthmatic children aged younger than 6 to 9 to prevent the above-mentioned disorders from occurring in later years.

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We carried out MMPI and "Questionnaire about Pain" (Q.a.P for short), on patients with pain problems to examine their psychological characteristics.The subjects are consisted of 106 patients, including 61 low back pain, 9 post-herpetic neuralgia, 7 headache, 6 post-traumatic cervical syndrome, 3 cancerous pain and 15 psychogenic pain patients.The results are summarized as follows : (1) According to the results of MMPI of 54 low back pain patients, 29 patients showed normal pattern, 21 patients high scores of "neurotic triad, " 7 patients high scores of "psychotic tetrad."(2) We carried out the principal component analysis on the results of "Q.a.P." of 43 pain patients.Twenty-two questions about pain in part II of "Q.a.P." were divided into 5 groups (II-1,2,3,4,5) and 46 questions about psychological and somatic problems in part III were divided into 3 groups (III-1,2,3).(3) According to the compariosn by the results of "Q.a.P." among 4 groups of 29 low back pain, 10 organic pain, 5 post-traumaitc cervical syndrome and 12 psychogenic pain patients, there were significant differences of scores of II-4,5 and III-2,3 among them.(4) According to the comparison by the results of "Q.a.P." between 19 nerve block effective patients and 23 inefefctive patients, there were significant differences of scores of II-4 and III-1,2,3 between them.(5) Examining the correlation between II-1,2,3,4,5,III-1,2,3 of "Q.a.P." and the scales of MMPI, we found significant correlations between II-4,5,III-1,2,3 of "Q.a.P." and K, Hs, D, Hy, Pd, Pa, Pt, Sc, Si scales of MMPI.We conclude that the "Q.a.P." is a useful test for the screening of pain patients.

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Forty-three women undergoing hysterectomy were studied in order to investigate the association between hysterctomy and psychiatric adverse effects. They were interviewed and administered the psychological tests on the day prior to the operation. Also, they were reinterviewed on seven days later, and mailed the psychological test and the specially designed questionnaire at two year follow-up.The mailed questionnaires were filled and returned from 35 or 81.4% of women. They were all married and parous except for one divorced and two single women. Regarding psychiatric adverse reactions, two cases who seemed to have neurotic tendency previously were found to be exacerbated transiently after the operation. Both of them were married and multiparous, and their operations were done due to myoma uteri.Bedides, a 52 year-old woman manifested hot flush probably due to estrogen deficiency which was attributed to additional unilateral ovariectomy, and some patients were suffered from lumbago transiently.Our data did not support the hypothesis that hysterectomy should be followed by various psychiatric symptoms. However, it was surprising that so many patients did not know or were unwilling to know what kind of operation to be undergone and what sorts of complications to be anticipated. This defense mechanism 'denial' seemed to be effective, in collaboration with a Japanese style of doctor-patient relationship-dependence on doctors, in lessening preoperative tension or anxiety and avoiding psychiatric complications postoperatively among Japanese women undergoing hysterectomy.

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In this paper, 3 cases of hysterical aphonia were reported.The first case, a 19-year old female patient, lost her voice on account of her lover's violence after quallel with him about a trifling problem. An organic aphonia was excluded by brain CT scan and haryngeal examination. Her aphonia disappeared by supportive psychotherapy and administration of minor tranquilizer without difficulty.The second case, a 17-year old female patient, became pregnant after seve months from living together with her lover. She underwent artificial abortion according to their parents' advice, and was strongly advised to separate herself from him by her aunts. She lost her voice on account of his violence after quarrel with him about the problem of separation. On the afternoon of admission, she was able to speak a little. Her aphonia disappeared gradually by supportive psychotherapy and administration of minor tranquilizer afterward.The third case, a 26-year old female patient, had suspicions about her husband's unfaithfulness for a long time. She had not been on speaking terms with him at times, and lost her voice after the third episode. After admission, her aphonia was not improved by psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, but disappeared by electroshock therapy immediately.Finally, we discussed some psychological factors relating to hysterical aphonia and therapies for it.

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The patient was a 25 year-old man with a calm and passive personality. Persistent nausea and vomiting appeared after he graduated from college. The symptoms which lasted 3 years without any evidence of organic disorder, occurred two times everyday just after he had taken meals at his house, but occurred neither in public nor in his office. We diagnosed him as psychogenic vomiting. The symptoms disappeared just after he had admitted to our hospital.It was found that he had conflicts with his dominant father. He had behaved himself as a good and obedient son since his childhood according to his father's wiches. His social function has been good. But as he grew up, he had to establish his own life style. The symptoms were thought to be as a symbol of rejection of his father's interference. During his stay in our hospital, he gained an insight into these findings and got well by his own strengh.We helped him not to have a guilty feeling that he was hurting his father.Our case studies have convincingly demonstrated the role of learned behavior played in the genesis of this disorder, and the symptom is recognized as short-term benefit of stress relief.But in this case the symptoms have a meaning of developmental milestone which is considered to be common in adolescents.

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