Abstract
Background No study outside the UK has examined the diagnostic stability of psychotic disorders in a population- based sample.
Aims To determine diagnostic stability in a Dutch population -based psychosis incidence cohort, to examine the frequencies of diagnostic shifts to and from schizophrenic disorders and to report the revised relative risks of schizophrenic disorders for immigrants.
Method A 30 -month follow-up study assessed the cohort (n=181) by means of face-to-face diagnostic interviews.
Results Diagnostic stability of schizophrenic disorders was high (91%), but lower for other psychotic disorders. At follow-up, the initial diagnosis was adjusted to schizophrenic disorder more often than that the reverse occurred. Almost half (49%) of the patients who were not initially diagnosed as having a schizophrenic disorder received this diagnosis at follow up. The relative risks for most immigrant groups were stable.
Conclusions Schizophrenic disorders are under diagnosed, rather than overdiagnosed, at first presentation.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 460-464 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | The British Journal of Psychiatry |
Volume | 185 |
Publication status | Published - Dec-2004 |
Keywords
- PSYCHIATRIC-DIAGNOSIS
- SCHIZOPHRENIA
- 1ST-EPISODE
- INSTRUMENT
- SYMPTOMS