The authors compare several definitions of mania in three series of
patients. All the definitions were successful in selecting patients with a
favorable outcome, but there were large differences in the number of
patients diagnosed, ranging from 17 to 55. The Research Diagnostic Criteria
(RDC) distinction between mania and schizoaffective mania proved useful in
that the schizoaffective patients continued to show schizophrenic and
paranoid symptoms, had more manic episodes, and had a poorer social
outcome. The DSM-III tripartite division into nonpsychotic mania and two
subgroups of psychotic mania did not appear to have a clear advantage over
the RDC dichotomy in the prediction of outcome.Abstract Teaser