Narrative identity in schizophrenia.
This study examined narrative identity in a group of 81 patients with schizophrenia and 50 healthy controls through the recall of self-defining memories. The results indicated that patients' narratives were less coherent and elaborate than those of controls. Schizophrenia patients were severely impaired in the ability to make connections with the self and extract meaning from their memories, which significantly correlated with illness duration. In agreement with earlier research, patients exhibited an early reminiscence bump. Moreover, the period of the reminiscence bump, which is highly relevant for identity development, was characterized by fewer achievements and more life-threatening event experiences, compared with controls. A negative correlation was found between negative symptoms, number of self-event connections and specificity of narratives. Our results suggest that schizophrenia patients have difficulties to organize and extract meaning from their past experiences in order to create coherent personal narratives.
Raffard
Stéphane
S
Cognitive Psychopathology and Neuropsychology Unit, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. s-raffard@chu-montpellier.fr
D'Argembeau
Arnaud
A
Lardi
Claudia
C
Bayard
Sophie
S
Boulenger
Jean-Philippe
JP
Van der Linden
Martial
M
D000124:Achievement; D000328:Adult; D003243:Consciousness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007062:Identification, Psychological; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D033262:Narration; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires