Rorschach developmental level and its relationship to subsequent psychiatric treatment

The relationship of Rorschach developmental level (DL) scores and later psychiatric treatment was examined in a sample of 267 children who were either "at risk" (by virtue of having a psychotic parent) or were the offspring of a parent with physical illness or of two normal parents. Although DL scores in childhood differentiated children of DSM-III diagnosed schizophrenics and schizoaffectives from children of parents with affective disorder and of non-psychotic parents. DL scores were not predictive of later psychiatric treatment. The reliability of a DL score computed with data from a five-card Rorschach is also presented.