Stability of psychiatric diagnosis

Eighty five charts of patients whose diagnoses have changed at least once between 1977 and 1981 (unstable) were compared with another randomly chosen charts where diagnosis during the subsequent admissions remained unchanged (stable). Seventy six percent of the changes occurred from one to the other diagnostic category and remained so. Seventy three percent of Schizophrenics, 77.5% of Manics, 45% of Depressives and only 31% the Neurotics retained their original diagnosis. More Schizophrenics became Manics rather than the reverse. No statistically significant differences were found regarding changes between the other diagnostic categories. Unstable group had lesser frequency of admissions before the index admission and were more often readmitted.