Author:
FORRESTER A.,OWENS D. G. C.,JOHNSTONE E. C.
Abstract
Background. Although studies investigating changes in diagnosis between psychotic episodes have
differed in design, some consistent findings have emerged. This study seeks to clarify and extend
these findings by describing and comparing clinical and operationally defined diagnostic stability in
a group of subjects with multiple episodes of functional psychotic illness.Methods. The OPCRIT programme was applied to case notes of 204 subjects with multiple
admissions for psychotic illness. Clinical and operationally defined diagnoses were compared and
the spread and stability of diagnoses determined.Results. An increase in the frequency of diagnosis of schizophrenia from initial to subsequent
episodes was demonstrated. High levels of stability were found for schizophrenia (58 to 98%),
moderate levels for affective disorders (24 to 83%), low levels for other non-organic psychotic
conditions (27 to 54%) and atypical psychosis (27 to 53%), and very low levels for schizoaffective
disorder (5 to 39%) and other conditions (0 to 4%).Conclusions. The stability levels for schizophrenia and affective disorders are adequate, but the low
levels for a range of other psychotic conditions raise questions regarding their predictive validity.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Subject
Psychiatry and Mental health,Applied Psychology
Cited by
32 articles.
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