‘Delusion of World Destruction' (Wetzel)

It has been said that the delusion of world destruction (Weltuntergangserlebnis) in schizophrenia is closely related to Christian culture, and is less frequent in Oriental than in Western countries. Schizophrenic inpatients with delusions of world destruction treated at the UniversitÄts-Nervenklinik, TÜbingen, FRG, were compared with corresponding inpatients at Keio University Hospital and allied hospitals in Japan. As a result, in West Germany, there were 7 (4.7%) patients with delusions of world destruction among 150 schizophrenic patients, accounting for 5.3% of all 131 patients with some delusion. In Japan, 5 (2.8%) of 178 schizophrenic patients had such delusions, accounting for 3.0% of all 166 patients with some delusion. There was no statistically significant difference between the two countries. These incidences were similar to those reported by Kranz (5, 3 and 8% in 1886, 1916 and 1946, respectively) and by Huber and Gross (5.8%). Accordingly, it seems that, although the delusion of world destruction, as a form of world catastrophe, is rare, it occurs among schizophrenic patients at a rather constant incidence, irrespective of the culture or area.