Crisis of objectivity: using a personalized network model to understand maladaptive sensemaking in a patient with psychotic, affective, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

A detailed case study of a patient with multiple psychiatric comorbidities, maladaptive coping mechanisms, and adverse childhood experiences followed for two years. Using phenomenological interviews, neuropsychological assessments, language analysis, and semi-structured interviews, a personalized network model of the patient's lifeworld was constructed. The core psychopathological theme identified was 'the crisis of objectivity'—a persistent mistrust of any information appraised as originating in his subjectivity, developmentally traceable to adverse childhood experiences and a psychotic episode. Correspondence was found between subjective reports and other data sources. Social sensorimotor, positive valence, and negative valence system dysfunctions likely relate to a primary deficit from childhood adversity, while cognitive symptoms may be tied to maladaptive coping mechanisms or the primary disorder.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Psychiatric comorbidities have proven a consistent challenge. Recent approaches emphasize the need to move away from categorical descriptions of symptom clusters towards a dimensional view of mental disorders. From the perspective of phenomenological psychopathology, this shift is not enough, as a more detailed understanding of patients' lived experience is necessary as well. One phenomenology-informed approach suggests that we can better understand the nature of psychiatric disorders through personalized network models, a comprehensive description of a person's lifeworld in the form of salient nodes and the relationships between them. We present a detailed case study of a patient with multiple comorbidities, maladaptive coping mechanisms, and adverse childhood experiences. The case was followed for a period of two years, during which we collected multiple streams of data, ranging from phenomenological interviews, neuropsychological assessments, language analysis, and semi-structured interviews (Examination of Anomalous Self Experience and Examination of Anomalous World Experience). We analytically constructed a personalized network model of his lifeworld. We identified an experiential category "the crisis of objectivity" as the core psychopathological theme of his lifeworld. It refers to his persistent mistrust towards any information that he obtains that he appraises as originating in his subjectivity. We can developmentally trace the crisis of objectivity to his adverse childhood experience, as well as him experiencing a psychotic episode in earnest. He developed various maladaptive coping mechanisms in order to compensate for his psychotic symptoms. Interestingly, we found correspondence between his subjective reports and other sources of data. Hernan exhibits difficulties in multiple Research Domain Criteria constructs. While we can say that social sensorimotor, positive valence, and negative valence systems dysfunctions are likely associated with primary deficit (originating in his adverse childhood experience), his cognitive symptoms may be tied to his maladaptive coping mechanisms (although, they might be related to his primary disorder as well).