Am J Psychiatry 1978; 135:1156-1162
Copyright © 1978 by American Psychiatric Association
Is modern-day schizophrenic outcome still negative?
M Harrow, Sr Grinker RR, ML Silverstein and P Holzman
To evaluate formulations about more positive outcome in modern-day
schizophrenic patients, the authors assessed 132 young patients 2.7 years
after hospital discharge. Despite modern treatment techniques, only 14%-17%
of the 79 schizophrenic patients in the study group were functioning
effectively without relapses; 50% had adjusted very poorly. The
schizophrenic patients were functioning significantly more poorly than the
nonschizophrenic patients in all areas (p less than .01), showing poor
adjustment, high symptom levels, and high rehospitalization rates. The two
major acute subgroups (schizo- affective and acute schizophrenic patients)
were functioning better than those with paranoid and chronic schizophrenia.
Overall, the authors conclude, diagnosis carries prognostic implications.
Schizophrenic outcome is more favorable today than it was in Bleuler and
Kraepelin's era, but it is still relatively negative.
