Problem areas and mental and behavioral status in schizophrenia, neurosis, and depression

A 5- to 8-year follow-up of first admissions to a local psychiatric service enabled the comparison of patients with and without symptoms for the presence of current problem areas. Whereas first admission was associated with a temporary high level of reports of problems, the 6-month and 5- to 8-year levels were stable. Relative risk of onset following an event compared with spontaneous onset was likewise stable for the different diagnoses, significant only for depressive states and not for schizophrenia or neurosis, despite higher overall reporting of problems in the latter. The type of depression emerging after problems was similar to that occurring spontaneously.