ABSTRACT
Assessment efforts can be hampered by the lack of consensus on what constitutes disordered thought. If thought disorder is construed narrowly as "disorganized speech", then assessment may overlook other important elements of investigation. The impact of phase of illness, medication, and context must be taken into consideration when assessing disordered thinking. The Rorschach has been used to assess thought disorder in a broad range of patients and in a variety of assessment contexts. The degree to which an individual's thinking is disorganized will depend on whether he or she is in an acute phase or in a partial or complete remission from the active disturbance. Mihura's meta-analysis of Rorschach research further solidified the role of the Rorschach in assessing psychotic phenomena and thought disorder in particular. More recently, psychologists have used the Rorschach to investigate indications of emerging thought disorder in individuals who may be at high risk for developing psychotic disorders.
