Abstract
The case findings of thirty-three children given a diagnosis of psychosis during hospitalization in the '50s and '60s were reviewed and rediagnosed in 1973. Childhood schizophrenia was the original diagnosis in 58% of the cases but was the rediagnosis in only 18% of those same cases. Chronic brain syndrome with various reactions (psychotic reaction, nonpsychotic behavioral reaction, and mental retardation and autism) was the diagnosis in 27% of the cases, originally, but was given to 67% of the cases on rediagnosis. One-third of the children originally diagnosed as psychotic were rediagnosed as nonpsychotic. Approximately two-thirds of the children were nonpsychotic according to the DeMyer-Churchill guidelines.
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DeMyer, M. K., Barton, S., DeMyer, W., Norton, J. A., Allen, J., & Steele, R. Prognosis in autism: A follow-up study.Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1973,3, 199–246.
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Piggott, L. R., Simson, D. B., Amidon, R. W., & Lucas, A. A comparison of fifteen-and five-year follow-up studies of childhood psychosis. In D. V. S. Sankar (Ed.),Studies on childhood—psychiatric and psychological problems. London: P.J.D. Publications, in press.
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The authors would like to acknowledge the help received from Dr. James Grisell and Ms. Kathleen Lennox in data analysis and Mr. Kenneth Loncharich in manuscript preparation.
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Piggott, L.R., Simson, C.B. Changing diagnosis of childhood psychosis. J Autism Dev Disord 5, 239–245 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01538154
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01538154