Stability of psychiatric diagnoses in clinical practice

This is a retrospective study that aimed at studying the diagnostic stability of psychiatric diagnoses over a 4-year period. Three-hundred and twelve patients (n = 312) admitted more than once to Al Ain in-patient unit from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1993, were the subjects for this study. The sample included patients with the following index diagnoses: acute psychoses (n = 37), alcohol abuse (n = 15), bipolar disorder (n = 27), depressive disorders (n = 63), drug abuse (n = 21), hysteria (n = 23), neurotic disorders (n = 50) and schizophrenia (n = 76). Diagnoses on discharge for first admissions were considered the index diagnoses. The shift from index diagnoses to subsequent diagnoses was counted. Diagnostic stability was calculated as the percentages of index diagnoses that did not change over time. In nearly half of the patients the index diagnoses changed over the 4-year period. Highest diagnostic stability was found in patients with index diagnoses of alcohol abuse, schizophrenia and drug abuse (92%, 74% and 71% respectively), while the lowest stability was found in patients with neurotic, hysterical, depressive disorders, acute psychoses and bipolar disorders (38%, 48% and 45%, 42%, 52% respectively). Two distinct patterns of shifts were noted. First shift occurred between functional psychoses and second shift between depressive and neurotic disorders. This study provides further support to the notion that diagnostic stability in clinical practice is still far from being satisfactory.