This study discusses 597 cases of functional psychosis with an average evolution of over 10 years and a stable diagnostic over the last 5 years, found in the outpatient service of Timisoara.

The cases are part of the project entitled The Timisoara Project of Typology and Evolution of Functional Psychosis, initiated with a Case Register since 1985 to date.

The research team has since remained unaltered and for all the cases there was a permanent record of psychopathological episodes upon admissions, clinical evolution and treatment between episodes, socio-demographic dynamics, as well as other types of evaluation.

The assessments were made at 1 year after onset, and respectively after 5, 10 and 15 years. The stability or metamorphosis along time of these diagnostics was evaluated, as well as other clinical parameters from onset to present days. The approach has allowed for the parallel study of the following casuistry (understood both as episode and constant disorder): schizophrenia, persistent delusional disorder, bipolar disorder with or without delusional ideation, major depressive disorder with or without delusional ideation, schizoaffective disorder (with various subtypes). The casuistry has evidenced delusional disorder as being distinct from schizophrenia, both in terms of independent evolution, as well as in association with affective pathology.