title: The Last-Weiss Rorschach Ego-Strength Scale as a prognostic measure for psychiatric outpatients.
abstract: This study tested the hypothesis that the Last and Weiss (1976) Rorschach Ego-Strength Scale (sigma E) would predict outcome among a representative sample of never-hospitalized psychiatric outpatients. 78 patients were assessed with structured symptom, psychiatric history, and social data interviews at the time of initial clinic contact and at 2-yr. follow-up. Outcome measures included the Menninger Health-Sickness Scale, a multidimensional variable involving social and work functioning and recent symptom level, symptom measures, and an index of diagnostic severity. sigma E, controlled for number of responses, correlated significantly with Health-Sickness, neurotic symptoms, diagnostic severity, and psychotic symptomatology. Among the components of sigma E, M+, and FC+ had significant relationships or contributed to significant relations with outcome variables. Considered with an earlier study of inpatients, in which S+ sigma E component correlated inversely with outcome, this study suggested that sigma E components have differing prognostic significance, depending on adaptational level of the patient.
authors.affiliation: Northeastern University Medford, MA.
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Greenwald
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Harder
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Ritzler
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Kokes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D004532:Ego; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D012392:Rorschach Test