Am J Psychiatry 1975; 132:1276-1280
Copyright © 1975 by American Psychiatric Association
A critique of the St. Louis psychiatric research criteria for schizophrenia
MA Taylor and R Abrams
The authors reviewed the research data for 89 hospitalized patients who
were given a diagnosis of schizophrenia and 22 who were given a diagnosis
of mania on admission. They found that 11 (12 percent) of the schizophrenic
patients satisfied the St. Louis research criteria for schizophrenia and 10
(11 percent) satisfied the authors' criteria. Diagnostic agreement between
the sets of criteria was shared in only 5 of these patients. On the basis
of this finding and other studies of the St. Louis criteria, the authors
suggest specific modifications that would broaden the utility of these
criteria and minimize diagnostic disagreement.
