THE PROGNOSTIC SCALE BY STRAUSS AND CARPENTER AND ITS VALIDITY

The Prognostic Scale by Strauss and Carpenter (1974) is thoroughly ana lysed and its predictive value is compared with other predictors, such as symptomatology, premorbid adjustment and social disability. A samp le of 138 first-hospitalized schizophrenic patients serve as database. The total days of stationary treatment, the number of rehospitalizati ons, a complex criterion regarding the course of illness and the exten t of social impairment were selected as outcome criteria, The period o f time allowing for predictions was 36 months after index episode. A f actor analysis yields results indicating that the Prognostic Scale can be divided into two subscales, namely the ''social functioning in the previous twelve months'' and the ''extent of handicap by psychiatric symptoms''. With respect to prognostic aspects it is the first subscal e which proves to be especially valuable.