Personal resourcefulness: positive aspects of functioning in high-risk research

This paper discusses theoretical and measurement issues involved in attaining a differentiated picture of the distribution of outcomes in subjects selected for their elevated risk for psychosis; these outcomes include positive adaptations as well as subtle expressions of psychopathology. Many at-risk subjects either do not break down or actually "prosper" in the face of risk factors, a problem that persists even when risk groups are defined with increasing selectivity. Although this phenomenon is often referred to as the problem of "false positives" in risk research, its implications are more far-reaching than simply defining a problem of low yield in prospective studies.