According to the author a clearly recognizable psychogenic precipitation of a psychotic episode may generally be regarded as prognostically favorable. But there are also schizophrenias ending in complete deterioration in which psychogenic factors seem to have had their part. Kant therefore raises the question whether there exist any qualitative differences between the precipitating factors in benign and malign cases. Kant found that the types of psychogenic factors involved showed distinct qualitative differences in recovered and in deteriorated cases. While 'overstrain' and externally precipitated conflict situations predominated in the recovered group, endogenous conflicts, traumatic events, experiences of a 'symbolic significance', and sudden loss of rapport were more characteristic of the deteriorated group.