Pervasive Refusal Syndrome: Three Case Reports—Autism as a Predisposing Factor and Gentle Coercion to Shorten Duration of Disorder?

Table 4

Follow-up.

	Case 1	Case 2	Case 3
Episode duration (months)	18	36	15
Time from admission to last follow-up (months)	18 and 31	36	62
Follow-up: clinical global impression [14]—severity of PRS (1–7)	Normal (1) but impaired by autism	Normal (1) but impaired with few social contacts	Normal (1) and generalized anxiety and depression in remission as well
Key statement	Patient’s first words after 6 months of mutism: “I’m in charge.”	Patient after recovery: “I wish I could have stayed at home for treatment since being at the hospital was very stressful.”	Patient after recovery: “I was so relieved from life stresses during my episodes of somatic illness that I did not wish to get well but to dwell in seclusion.”