Followup studies of schizophrenia: a comment.

This set of articles provides a thoughtful and valuable review of the literature dealing with the findings and implications of long-term followup studies of patients receiving a diagnosis of schizophrenia. The results show clearly that if one starts with a psychotic disorder in a clear sensorium, the followup results may be quite variable. The articles provide, in addition, valuable discussions concerning methods, statistical analyses, and conceptual issues in followup studies.