Biasing factors in diagnosis and disposition

A study of 500 consecutive applicants for care at the Walk-In Service of the Massachusetts Mental Health Center focused on the role of social class, interviewer-attitudes toward applicants, and diagnosis in determining initial plans for applicants and the actual disposition received by the end of six months. Social class and attitudes were significantly related to disposition patterns and to diagnosis. Of particular interest was the differential fate of upper and lower class applicants who received a diagnosis of schizophrenia.