Basic Self-Disturbance in the Schizophrenia Spectrum: Taking Stock and Moving Forward

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Phenomenology
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Schizophrenia spectrum psychopathology presents complex cross-sectional and longitudinal challenges.
• A phenomenologically oriented framework offers a novel approach to understanding these complexities.
• The basic sense of self is a foundational dimension of subjective experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and elaborate on the concept of basic self-disturbance as a framework for schizophrenia spectrum psychopathology.
• To explore the implications of basic self-disturbance for understanding symptom emergence and prodromal identification.
• To propose basic self-disturbance as an integrative framework for schizophrenia research across multiple domains.

Main Methods:

• Phenomenological analysis of basic self-experience in relation to schizophrenia.
• Review of empirical research on basic self-disturbance in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
• Conceptual integration across psychopathological, neurocognitive, and neurobiological levels.

Main Results:

• Schizophrenia is characterized by instability in the basic sense of self, including shifts in first-person perspective, sense of presence, and reality contact.
• Basic self-disturbance provides a ground for various schizophrenia symptoms (positive, negative, disorganization).
• Empirical research supports the specificity of basic self-disturbance to the schizophrenia spectrum.

Conclusions:

• Basic self-disturbance offers a valuable framework for understanding schizophrenia spectrum psychopathology.
• This concept shows potential for prospective identification of prodromal schizophrenia.
• It provides an integrative approach for research spanning psychopathology, neurocognition, and neurobiology.