Body Image and Body Experience Disturbances in Schizophrenia: an Attempt to Introduce the Concept of Body Self as a Conceptual Framework.

Disturbances in body experience are described as key schizophrenia symptoms and early disease predictors. In case studies, different disorders relating to body experience are presented, but only a few empirical studies have aimed to distinguish the characteristics of body experience in schizophrenia, and these have been selected arbitrarily and without reference to cohesive theoretical model. To integrate this fragmentary approach, we propose a body self (BS) model, composed of: functions; representations (e.g., body image); and sense of body identity. The aim of the study was to determine whether the BS differentiates schizophrenic patients from healthy controls, and to investigate the relations between aspects of BS and a history of illness and clinical characteristics. The Body Self Questionnaire and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale were administered to 63 schizophrenic patients and 63 healthy subjects. The difference was found in the functions of the body-self (perceiving, interpreting, and regulating body experience), in the sense of body identity, and in one of three aspects of body image explored (e.g., acceptance of biological sex). Disturbances in BS were related to positive symptoms and to the number of hospitalizations for other diseases. Together, the results demonstrate that schizophrenia is more body experience than body image disorder, since the negative emotional attitude towards the body and acceptance of fitness were not distinctive for schizophrenia. The link between the disturbances in BS and the number of nonpsychiatric hospitalizations suggests that misinterpretation of body experiences in schizophrenia can promote a search for medical attention.

The body self and the frequency, intensity and acceptance of menopausal symptoms.

INTRODUCTION: There are many studies on the concept of body image (usually understood narrowly as body acceptance) in menopausal women, but relationships between the body self and menopausal symptoms have not been explored yet. In the research discussed in this paper, a complex model of the body self, including its functions, body identity and body image, has been presented. AIM OF THE STUDY: Aim of the study was to explore the relationships between different aspects of the body self, and the frequency, intensity and acceptance of menopausal symptoms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The investigated sample consisted of 81 women (age: 51.8 ± 4.2 years; range: 45-58 years). The authors used an extended version of the Menopause Symptom List and the Body Self Questionnaire. RESULTS: Perception of sensations, interpretation and regulation of emotions and physical states as well as body identity were the most important correlates of the intensity and frequency of menopausal symptoms (psychological, vasomotor and somatic). Among the body image aspects investigated in the study, the appearance evaluation was associated with the frequency of vasomotor and psychological symptoms. The level of acceptance of symptoms was only related to the ability to cope with emotions and physical needs. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that aspects of the body self (which are stable personality traits) are significant for the way women experience menopausal symptoms.

Personal hygiene in individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia: the role of gender, clinical characteristics, and the body self. / Higiena osobista u osób z diagnoza schizofrenii: znaczenie plci, charakterystyk klinicznych oraz Ja cielesnego.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to examine whether individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia differ in personal hygiene (PH) from controls and to assess the importance of gender, clinical characteristics, and body self (body experience and body image) for PH. METHODS: Eighty-two subjects with a diagnosis of schizophrenia in stable mental state and 82 control subjects were studied. All subjects completed the Personal Hygiene Scale (PHS), the Body Self Questionnaire, and answered the questions in Cenestopathy Interview. To confirm the validity of patients' replies, PHS was also completed by medical staff. RESULTS: Subjective assessment of PH correlated with ratings made by medical personnel. The patient group subjects rated their PH worse than controls. Men rated their PH worse than women. In the case of male patients, hygienic deficits were associated with numerous disturbances in body experience (cenestopathy, disturbances in interpreting and regulating body states, and disturbances in body identity) while in the case of women with schizophrenia they were related only to difficulties in interpreting and regulating body states and negative symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia in a stable mental state manifest deficits in personal hygiene that are related not so much to negative body image as to a disturbed body experience. The determinants of hygiene deficits in schizophrenia are gender-dependent. The study did not include individuals with severe illness, which helps to understand the lack of correlation between negative symptoms of schizophrenia and PH in the male study group.

Repetetive self-Injury and the body self.

OBJECTIVES: The assessment of differences in body self and pain thresholds between people inflicting self-injuries in a repetitive manner and those, who do not engage in such behavior. METHODS: The participants were selected through screening and purposive sampling (the study group consisted of 34 people: 29 women, 5 men; and the control group of 32 people: 28 women, 4 men). The Tension Situations Questionnaire and the Inventory of Questions Concerning Self-injury were used in the study. These measures served to assess the presence and circumstances of self-injury. TempTest apparatus (measuring sensitivity to pain) and the Body Self Questionnaire were also used. RESULTS: Individuals inflicting self-injury are characterised by higher indices of body self maladaptiveness than individuals from the control group. In the study group, disorders were found in such aspects of body self as: the perception of sensations, the interpretation and regulation of emotions and physical needs, emotional attitude to body, and the sense of body identity. Women inflicting self-injuries had a higher pain threshold than women from the control group, the reverse pattern was observed in the group of men. However, due to the small size of the male group, the obtained result should be treated with caution. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed, that the distorted aspect of personality - the body self - is the important risk factor for the repetetive self-injuries. The lowered pain threshold in men engaging in self-harm, in combination with the increased threshold of pain in self-injuring women is surprising result and demands further investigation.