From Experience to Symptoms: A Multilayer Hierarchy of Psychopathological Dimensions in Schizophrenia.
Stephan Lechner, Karl Erik Sandsten, Dusan Hirjak, Jonas Daub, Stefan Fritze, Geva A Brandt, Filipe Arantes-gonçalves, Angelika Wolman, Riccardo Stefanelli, Julian Gojer, Sanjiv Gulati, Hasan Hersi, Josef Parnas, Georg Northoff
Psychopathology June 30, 2025 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1159/000547153 via PubMed
Summary
Altered experiences of time and space in schizophrenia spectrum disorders are linked to basic self-disturbances, which in turn mediate the impact of these fundamental changes on perceptual alterations and a range of symptoms, including negative, positive, and general symptoms. Data were collected via phenomenological interviews and analyzed using network and mediation methods.
Study at a glance
| Design | cross-sectional observational study |
|---|---|
| Population | individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorder |
| Key finding | Basic self-disturbance mediates the impact of altered time and space experiences on perceptual changes and negative, positive, and general symptoms. |
Abstract
The psychopathology of schizophrenia is a complex amalgamation of features that span across different dimensions. These dimensions range from the experience of altered time and space through self-disorders to perceptual, positive, and negative symptoms. The relationship between these different psychopathological dimensions remains unclear. Addressing this gap was the aim of our study. We collected data on schizophrenia spectrum disorder at three medical expert centers, via semi-structured phenomenological interviews, consisting of the Scale for Space and Time Experience in Psychosis (STEP), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS) and, for a subset of these data, the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience (EASE), and the perceptual domain of the Bonn Scale for the Assessment of Basic Symptoms (BSABS or BONN). Various state-of-the-art statistical methods, including network and mediation analyses, were used to investigate the relationships between these psychopathological dimensions. We found a relationship between altered time and space experiences (STEP) and both general symptoms (PANSS) and the basic self-disorders (EASE). Our various network and mediation analyses show that the basic self-disturbance is a key node in mediating the impact of the more fundamental time and space disturbances on both perceptual changes, and negative, positive, and general symptoms.