A critique of the St. Louis psychiatric research criteria for schizophrenia

Abstract

The authors reviewed the research data for 89 hospitalized patients who were given a diagnosis of schizophrenia and 22 who were given a diagnosis of mania on admission. They found that 11 (12 percent) of the schizophrenic patients satisfied the St. Louis research criteria for schizophrenia and 10 (11 percent) satisfied the authors' criteria. Diagnostic agreement between the sets of criteria was shared in only 5 of these patients. On the basis of this finding and other studies of the St. Louis criteria, the authors suggest specific modifications that would broaden the utility of these criteria and minimize diagnostic disagreement.