The phenomenon of “magic thinking” as a criteria of shizotypal disorder

Abstract

Background and aim:

Problem on clinical definitions of schizotypal disorder abides still actual. The majority of disorders of schiziphrenic spectrum includes continuum of states from personal features (personality schizotypal disorder) up to mild schizoprenia.

Materials and methods:

Cohort of 75 patients with schizotypal disorders were studied by clinical psychopathological and experimental psychological methods.

Results:

So, the magic thinking is psychopathologically connected and formed at patients with the following clinical features are characteristic:

1. - Sensation of loneliness, vulnerability, that it is clinically possible to interpret as autistic features of the person;

2. - Infringement of understanding of interrelations in surrounding and a private world, the "Ego" in system of these communications, attempt to establish them at other level.

3. - Experience of "existential" anxiety, uncertainty, animosities of world around;

4. - Affective disorders with prevalence of fear, sensation of threat, danger. On this position they adjoin to so-called to “delirious mood” and give representation about formation of psychotic disorders which can develop further;

5. - Formed thinking disorders with gradual loss of rational logic connections (the subjective consciousness spreads on untied elements, attempt to establish the lost connections;

6. - The broken mechanisms of adaptation and their restoration at other level, pathological adaptation.

Conclusion:

Thus, clinical interpretation of a phenomenon of magic thinking allows to attribute it to schizophrenic spectrum of mental disorders and to consider it as cardinal criterion of diagnostics of schizotypal disorder.