Tactile and Somatic Hallucinations in a Muslim Population of Psychotic Patients

Background: Tactile and somatic hallucinations are distressing phenomena that have hardly been researched. The few studies that have been published focus on their occurrence in neurodegenerative disorders and substance use, and, surprisingly, not on schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Objective: To fill this gap in our knowledge, we sought to explore the phenomenological characteristics of tactile and somatic hallucinations in a group of psychotic Muslim patients. Since many Muslims attribute such experiences to jinn (invisible spirits) and jinn are often perceived in multiple sensory modalities, we not only charted the involvement of the tactile and somatic modalities but also their interrelatedness with hallucinations in other sensory modalities.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using a semi-structured interview and dedicated questionnaire.Results: Of the 42 Muslim inpatients mostly diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder, 62% reported to suffer from tactile and/or somatic hallucinations. Their phenomenological characteristics varied, with 96% being multimodal in nature and 38% taking the form of full-blown entity/jinn encounters. In comparison to other entity experiences, the involvement of the tactile and somatic modalities was exceptionally high, as was the level of ensuing distress. Regarding the order of recruitment of the various sensory modalities, we suggest the involvement of an underlying stochastic process.Conclusion: Muslim patients with severe psychosis can have tactile and somatic hallucinations, of which a large number are multimodal or full-blown entity/jinn encounters, which are almost invariably appreciated as harrowing. On the basis of our findings we make recommendations for further research and clinical practice.

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Admixture analysis of age at onset in older patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s104161022000085x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 32 (6) ◽

pp. 781-785

Author(s):

Maureen M. J. Smeets-Janssen ◽

Idan M. Aderka ◽

Paul D. Meesters ◽

Sjors Lange ◽

Sigfried Schouws ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Late Onset ◽

Age At Onset ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Data Driven ◽

Admixture Analysis ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorders

ABSTRACTThe nature of schizophrenia spectrum disorders with an onset in middle or late adulthood remains controversial. The aim of our study was to determine in patients aged 60 and older if clinically relevant subtypes based on age at onset can be distinguished, using admixture analysis, a data-driven technique. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 94 patients aged 60 and older with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Admixture analysis was used to determine if the distribution of age at onset in this cohort was consistent with one or more populations of origin and to determine cut-offs for age at onset groups, if more than one population could be identified. Results showed that admixture analysis based on age at onset demonstrated only one normally distributed population. Our results suggest that in older schizophrenia patients, early- and late-onset ages form a continuum.

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T194. SUBJECTIVE ANOMALIES OF IMAGINATION AGGREGATE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDERS AND ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DISORDERS OF BASIC SELF

Schizophrenia Bulletin ◽

10.1093/schbul/sbaa029.754 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S305-S305

Author(s):

Andreas Rosén Rasmussen ◽

Josef Parnas

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Multivariate Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Schizotypal Disorder

Abstract Background Imagination is the formation of ideas or images of something known not to be present to the senses. Clinical psychopathology has few notions addressing this domain apart from obsession and rumination. Some classic psychopathological notions such as Jaspers’ concept of pseudohallucination or the pseudo-obsession are relevant to this area. In a recent research project, informed by contemporary philosophy of mind and phenomenology, we have developed novel concepts targeting subjective disturbances of imagination and fantasy life with a focus on the schizophrenia-spectrum. Patients describe a spatialization of images, i.e., stable imagery with an articulated spatial structure being liable to inspection ‘from afar in the mind’ and often undergoing an autonomous development independently of the will of the patient (‘like watching a movie in the head’). Other notions address tacit, non-psychotic erosions of the demarcation of fantasy life from perception and memory. A broad range of ideations (such as ‘daydreams’, ‘fears’, anticipations, intrusions, paranoid or suicidal ideation) may involve such structural disturbances of experience. Here, we present data from the first, cross-sectional study investigating the distribution of anomalies of imagination in different diagnostic groups and healthy controls as well as their association with positive symptoms, negative symptoms and disorders of basic selfhood. Methods The sample (N=81) included in- and outpatients with schizophrenia or another non-affective psychosis (N=32), outpatients with schizotypal disorder (N=15) or other mental illness (N=16) and healthy controls (N=18). The sample was 70% female with mean age 29.9 (SD 6.8; range 18–42) years. Anomalies of imagination were assessed with the Examination of anomalous fantasy and imagination (EAFI), which is an instrument recently developed in our group for a semi-structured interview exploring these experiences. The EAFI has shown very good reliability with average Kappa of 0.84. Disorders of basic self were assessed with the Examination of anomalous self experience (EASE) and positive, negative and general symptoms with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results Anomalies of imagination aggregated significantly (p < 0.000, Kruskall-Wallis test) in the schizophrenia-spectrum disorders compared to other mental illness with no significant difference between schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder. The group of healthy controls very rarely reported these anomalies and scored significantly lower (p < 0.000) than all diagnostic groups. In multivariate linear regression analysis (R2 = 0.66), EAFI score was significantly associated with EASE score (β = 0.62, p < 0.000), PANSS positive (β = 0.34, p = 0.01) and PANSS negative (β = 0.29, p = 0.02), but not PANSS general score (β = -0.29, p = 0.07). More than 79% of the schizophrenia-spectrum patients retrospectively reported the onset of these experiences to adolescence or earlier. Discussion The results of this cross-sectional study support that the subjective anomalies of imagination, targeted with the EAFI, are associated with the schizophrenia-spectrum. The association with disorders of basic self, which has been shown to have trait-like characteristics and to predict transition to schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, may reflect that the anomalies of imagination share a common experiential core-structure with self disorders. We suggest that the anomalies of imagination belong to an early onset level of psychopathology in the schizophrenia-spectrum and may have a relevance for differential diagnosis and early detection.

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Cardiometabolic health, prescribed antipsychotics and health-related quality of life in people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: a cross-sectional study

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-016-1121-1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Daniel Bressington ◽

Jolene Mui ◽

Mei Ling Tse ◽

Richard Gray ◽

Eric F. C. Cheung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cardiometabolic Health ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Spectrum Disorders

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Comparison of self-stigma and quality of life in patients with depressive disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders – a cross-sectional study

Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment ◽

10.2147/ndt.s121556 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol Volume 12 ◽

pp. 3021-3030 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Michaela Holubova ◽

Jan Prasko ◽

Stanislav Matousek ◽

Klara Latalova ◽

Marketa Marackova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Depressive Disorders ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorders

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Comparison of self-stigma and quality of life in depressive disorder and schizophrenia – a cross-sectional study

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.02.342 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. S356-S356

Author(s):

M. Holubova ◽

J. Prasko ◽

S. Matousek ◽

K. Latalova ◽

M. Marackova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Depressive Disorders ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Internalized Stigma ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorders

BackgroundThe views of one's self-stigma and quality of life in patients with schizophrenia and depressive disorders are significant subjective notions, both being proven to affect patient's functioning in life. The objective of this research was to find out the quality of life and self-stigma in connection with demographic factors and compare the two groups of patients in those variables.MethodIn a cross-sectional study, the outpatients with the schizophrenia spectrum disorders and depressive disorders completed the quality of life satisfaction and enjoyment questionnaire, the internalized stigma of mental illness scale and a demographic questionnaire during a routine psychiatric control. Furthermore, both patients and their psychiatrists evaluated the severity of the disorder by clinical global impression-severity scale.ResultsThe quality of life of patients with depression or schizophrenia spectrum disorders did not significantly differ between the two groups. In both groups, unemployment was perceived to be a significant factor decreasing the quality of life. Self-stigma was detected to be higher in patients with schizophrenia as compared to the depressive patients. A strong correlation was found between the two scales, meaning that those with higher levels of self-stigmatization were less prone to see their life as fulfilling and joyful.ConclusionsThe present study shows that the degree of the internalized stigma can be an important aspect linked to the quality of life irrespective of the diagnostic category.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Chronic physical illnesses in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders are independently associated with higher rates of psychiatric rehospitalization; a cross-sectional study in Croatia

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.02.484 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

pp. 73-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

I. Filipcic ◽

I. Simunovic Filipcic ◽

E. Ivezic ◽

K. Matic ◽

N. Tunjic Vukadinovic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychiatric Comorbidities ◽

Psychiatric Rehospitalization ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Somatic Comorbidities ◽

Spectrum Disorders

AbstractBackground:Increased physical morbidity in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) is well documented. However, much less is known about the association between somatic comorbidities and psychosis treatment outcomes.Subjects and methods:This cross-sectional study, nested within the larger frame of a prospective cohort study, was done in 2016 at Psychiatric Hospital Sveti Ivan, Zagreb, Croatia. Data were collected on a consecutive sample of 301 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who achieved a stable therapeutic dosage. Key outcome was the number of psychiatric rehospitalizations since diagnosis of the primary psychiatric illness. Predictors were number of physical and psychiatric comorbidities. By robust regression, we controlled different clinical, sociodemographic, and lifestyle confounding factors.Results:The number of chronic somatic comorbidities was statistically significantly associated with a larger number of psychiatric rehospitalizations, even after the adjustment for number of psychiatric comorbidities and large number of other clinical, sociodemographic, and lifestyle variables.Conclusions:Chronic somatic comorbidities are associated with higher rates of psychiatric rehospitalization independently of psychiatric comorbidities and other clinical, sociodemographic, and lifestyle factors. Therefore, to treat psychosis effectively, it may be necessary to treat chronic somatic comorbidities promptly and adequately. Chronic somatic comorbidities should be considered equally important as the SSD, and should be brought to the forefront of psychiatric treatment and research with the SSD as one entity. The integrative approach should be the imperative in clinical practice.

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