title: Time factor as a prognostic indicator on the Bender-Gestalt test.
abstract: Z-scores from Bender-Gestalt records of 62 psychiatric in- and outpatients were computed. The patients were put on active treatment, and a psychiatric rating was done to evaluate therapeutic recovery after a period of 19 to 24 months. These patients were grouped into three categories, i.e., patients with low Z-scores and good therapeutic recovery; patients with high Z-scores and poor therapeutic recovery; patients with low Z-scores who still showed poor response to treatment. Total time taken by each patient to reprduce the BG designs was noted as well. Results indicate that Z-score was a significant prognostic indicator for schizophrenics, affective psychotics, organic psychotics and patients who were suffering from anxiety and conversion reactions, but not for obsessive compulsive neurotics. Time taken for BG reproductions proved to be an important prognostic indicator, as patients who did not respond satisfactorily to the treatment took significantly more time than those who responded well to treatment. Hence, time taken by the patients for BG reproductions also needs to be considered when any predictions are made with regard to therapeutic outcome.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000628:therapy; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy; D001538:Bender-Gestalt Test; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors