A ten-year follow-up of children of schizophrenic mothers. Clinical assessment.

A Group of 207 subjects with severely schizophrenic mothers and a matched group 104 subjects without known mental illness in the parents or grandparents have been followed since 1962 in a prospective study based on Mednick's learning theory of schizophrenia. The present paper describes an analysis of the clinical outcome based on a follow-up examination in 1972-1974. The examination consisted of a 3 1/2-hour clinical interview using three approaches (two with computer-derived diagnoses and one traditional clinical interview). 173 high-risk and 91 low-risk subjects were fully clinically reassessed. At the time of the assessment they were between 18 and 30 years old. The diagnostic distribution showed marked differences between the two groups with regard to type and degree of psychpathology. The results are discussed in relation to the methods used, and with regard to the case and non-case status of the subjects.