To study the evolution of Functional Psychoses through continual supervision.

A sample of 123 cases with Functional Psychotic Disorder were studied, observed and treated continually by the same team in the framework of the STEPF project that studies the evolution of psychoses through a Case Register established and exploited since 1985. The average period of evolution was 13 years. We studied the metamorphosis of the diagnosis over time in correlation with the demographic parameters and therapy.

The stability of the diagnosis, in the sense of persistence of the first year diagnosis, was: Schizophrenia (41 cases) - 85%; Bipolar Disorder (22 cases) - 81%; Recurrent Depressive Disorder (20 cases) - 100%; Persistent Delusional Disorder (10 cases) - 80%; Paranoid Depressive Disorder (11 cases) - 27%. The majority of changes in the diagnosis happen during the first 5 years of illness. The last 10 years see changes in approximately 30% of the cases.

The stability over time of the diagnosis of Functional Psychoses is relative.