title: The role of expectation in treatment for psychotic patients.
abstract: Four patients, originally diagnosed as schizophrenic and treated as though they had no hope for recovery, were later reassessed and given more optimistic expectations. The ensuing positive treatment results underscore the danger of equating diagnosis with prognosis, the danger of inaccurate or premature diagnosis, and the danger of neglecting psychotherapy for such patients.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*