[Comparison of 2 clinics with reference to axis 5 of the MAS: different patient populations or regional characteristics?]

The university departments of child psychiatry in Cologne and Berlin were compared to assess whether quantitative differences in reported abnormal psychosocial situations (Axis 5 MAS of ICD-10) are due to a difference in patient population or coding practices or to particular regional conditions.Data were analyzed for 593 patients seen in Cologne in 1992/93 and for 685 patients seen in Berlin in the same period. The broader social situation was described by sociodemographic data from the respective city.Berlin showed about twice as many psychosocial stressors per patient as Cologne. Consistent relationships between axis 5 stress ratings and other parameters indicated the validity of the data. Only a few points of inconsistency in the data were found. The sociodemographic data for both cities revealed a greater number of single parents as well a a higher rate of suicide in Berlin.Indicators for the validity of the clinical data analyzed were found. Some special internal clinical and regional conditions were identified as contributing to the quantitative differences between the two university departments.