Psykopatiske børn. Psykiatri, diagnoser og politik 1905-1975

Resumé

Psychopathic Children
Psychiatry, Diagnosis and Politics, 1905–1975

This article examines the historical trajectory of the diagnosis of psychopathy in Danish child psychiatry between 1905 and 1975, situating it within broader medical, institutional, and political developments. Drawing on psychiatric case records, institutional archives, and contemporary debates, the study explores how psychopathy emerged as a central diagnostic category for children who exhibited behavioural and emotional deviations. Initially shaped by degeneration theory and eugenic thought, psychopathy was conceptualised as a hereditary defect, often linked to criminality and moral deficiency. Danish psychiatrists such as August Wimmer advocated for the establishment of specialised “psychopath homes” to manage and treat these children. The diagnosis gained traction in both clinical and political spheres, prompting calls for institutional reform.
This institutionalisation of child psychiatry includes the founding of outpatient clinics and hospital departments from 1935 onwards. Despite widespread use, the diagnosis of psychopathy remained loosely defined and inconsistently applied, encompassing a wide spectrum of behaviours from aggression and delinquency to passivity and social withdrawal. By the late 1940s, empirical studies began to challenge the validity of psychopathy as a biologically determined condition. Follow-up investigations revealed that many children previously diagnosed with psychopathy showed significant improvement, suggesting that environmental and familial factors played a substantial role. This led to a gradual shift towards alternative categories such as “environmental difficulties”.
In the 1970s, the psychopathy concept came under further scrutiny amid broader critiques of psychiatry and institutional care. Although the term persisted in psychiatric literature, its clinical relevance diminished. The article concludes that psychopathy was instrumental in shaping Danish child psychiatry and welfare policy, reflecting an evolving understanding of deviance, treatment, and the interplay between biology and environment.