Examination of anomalous self-experience: initial study of the structure of self-disorders in schizophrenia spectrum

A growing body of evidence points to the clinical and heuristic value of anomalous subjective experiences (ASEs) for the characterization of schizophrenia spectrum vulnerability and early detection purposes. In particular, a subgroup of ASEs, entailing basic disorders of self-awareness (self-disorders [SDs]), has been shown to constitute a core feature of both clinically overt and latent (schizotaxic) spectrum phenotypes. However, a major limitation for the translational implementation of this research evidence has been a lack of assessment tools capable of encompassing the clinical richness of SDs. Here, we present the initial normative data and psychometric properties of a newly developed instrument (Examination of Anomalous Self-experience [EASE]), specifically designed to support the psychopathological exploration of SDs in both research and "real world" clinical settings. Our results support the clinical validity of the EASE as a tool for assessing anomalies of self-awareness (SDs) and lend credit to the translational potential of a phenomenological exploration of the subjective experience of vulnerability to schizophrenia.