Self-continuity across time in schizophrenia: an exploration of phenomenological and narrative continuity in the past and future

Disorders of the self, such as a reduced sense of personal continuity in time, are a core symptom of schizophrenia, but one that is still poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated two complementary aspects of self-continuity, namely phenomenological and narrative continuity, in 27 patients with schizophrenia, and compared them with 27 control participants. Participants were asked to identify important past events and to narrate a story from their life that included these events. They were also asked to imagine important events that might happen in their personal future and to build a narrative of their future life.
Source: Comprehensive Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research