Self and world experience in non-affective first episode of psychosis.

People with first-episode psychosis often experience profound changes in how they perceive the world around them—including alterations in space, time, and other people—alongside disturbances in their sense of self. In a study comparing 24 outpatients with first-episode psychosis to 24 healthy controls, those with psychosis scored significantly higher on both the Examination of Anomalous World Experience (EAWE) and the Examination of Anomalous Self Experience (EASE). Scores on the two measures were strongly correlated, even after accounting for overlapping items. The types of world-experience anomalies varied widely among patients. These findings suggest that anomalous world experiences are a relevant feature of first-episode psychosis and may be linked to the self-disturbances thought to underlie schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Study at a glance

Abstract

A disturbance of "minimal self," - of the immediate sense of mine-ness inherent in experience-is hypothesized to be the core disturbance in schizophrenia. Research with the Examination of Anomalous Self Experience (EASE) has demonstrated the selective aggregation of anomalous self-experiences in the schizophrenia spectrum. Conceptual research suggests that anomalous world experiences, including changes in the experience of space, time, and other persons, occur alongside anomalous self-experiences and are an important aspect of subjectivity in schizophrenia. The Examination of Anomalous World Experience (EAWE) is a recently published interview format designed to explore changes in world experience in schizophrenia. In the current study, 24 hospital outpatients with non-affective first-episode psychosis and 24 healthy-control participants were assessed with the EAWE and the EASE. First episode psychosis patients had total EAWE and EASE scores that were both, on average, significantly higher than the healthy-control group. EAWE and EASE scores were highly correlated, even after removing overlapping items. The distribution of EAWE items and subtypes in the first-episode psychosis sample was heterogeneous. We conclude that anomalous world experiences represent a relevant aspect of first-episode psychosis, and that they may be related to the self-disturbances thought to underlie schizophrenia spectrum disorders.