Anomalous self-experience in adolescents at risk of psychosis. Clinical and conceptual elucidation.
BACKGROUND
In research and clinical settings, there is a growing interest in the prodromal state of psychosis. The condition is usually operationalized by the presence of weak positive symptoms. Some studies also point to disorders of self-awareness as a core characteristic of the schizophrenia spectrum detectable before the onset of psychosis. Combining the 2 approaches is a pragmatic solution to the investigation of the role of anomalous self-experience in developing psychosis.


METHODS
This clinical report describes disorders of self-experience in a small sample of 11 subjects fulfilling the Criteria of Prodromal Syndromes. All subjects were interviewed using the symptom checklist Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience. Through in-depth analysis of cases, interview excerpts have been selected for the purpose of illustrating the phenomena of anomalous self-experience.


RESULTS
Disorders of self-experience were found in all subjects who fulfilled the prodromal criteria. There was, however, a difference in the kind and numbers of single features. Examples of disorders of self-experience which differ from the attenuated positive symptoms are illustrated by selected interview excerpts.


CONCLUSIONS
Anomalous self-experience should be further investigated in subjects at risk of psychosis and in a broader clinical population. The concept of anomalous self-experience should be further elaborated theoretically as well as empirically.
Davidsen
Kirstine Agnete
KA
Unit for Psychotherapy Education and Research, Center of Psychiatry Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. kirstine.davidsen@psy.ku.dk
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011936:Reality Testing; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires