Phenomenological study of thinking and perceptual disorders in schizophrenia

Background: The diagnosis of schizophrenia is entirely dependent upon its symptom cluster or phenomenology and there lies the importance of studying the disease from this angle. Materials and methods: Seventy patients with schizophrenia fulfilling the revised third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM III R) criteria were the subjects of this study. The principal objective was to study thought and perceptual disorders in schizophrenia. Besides the sociodemographic data, a selected questionnaire (Assamese version) was prepared from the Present State Examination schedule (ninth edition) for investigating the patients. Results: The phenomenology was studied under three headings: First rank symptoms, types of delusions and hallucinations. Twenty six patients had first rank symptoms. Auditory hallucinations in the form of voices arguing and voices commenting topped the list followed by somatic passivity and volitional acts. Audible thoughts were the most infrequent ones. Delusions of reference scored highest. Delusions of persecution and misinterpretation were next followed by religious and grandiose delusions. Delusions of pregnancy, sexual and fantastic delusions scored the minimum. In morbid jealousy or delusion of infidelity, females outnumbered males. Auditory hallucinations were highest among the hallucinations followed by visual, tactile, olfactory and gustatory hallucinations. In tactile hallucinations, the percentage frequency was quite high in females. Conclusion: In the phenomena of delusions and hallucinations, sociocultural factors played the primary role. This study is a proof to the ‘universality’ theory of schizophrenia in relation to its phenomenology.