The authors present the findings from a long-term follow-up study of 118
patients from Vermont State Hospital who, when rediagnosed retrospectively,
met DSM-III criteria for schizophrenia at their index hospitalization in
the mid-1950s. The patients were studied with structured, reliable,
multivariate instrument batteries by raters who were blind to information
in their records. The rediagnostic process is described, and results of the
follow-up are presented. Outcome varied widely, but one-half to two-thirds
of the sample had achieved considerable improvement or recovered, in
contrast to statements in DSM- III that predict a poor outcome for
schizophrenic patients.
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