A comparative psychopathological and psychometric analysis of age identity disorders (AID) – infantilism and puerilism – on the model of schizophrenia proceeding with hysterical symptoms.
Results of the psychopathological study of 42 patients with schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), with well-marked signs of AID in the course of the disease (22 sub. – infantilism; 20 sub. – puerilism), are summarized. Psychometric evaluation was carried out using a standardized block of pathopsychological methods; scales for assessing negative and positive psychopathological symptoms (SANS, PANSS, MFI-20); personality assessment instruments (SPQ-A; Personality Traits Questionnaire (V. Rusalova); Methods for diagnostics of personal maturity (V. Ruzhenkova)).
The differentiation between infantilism and puerilism, forming in the psychopathological space of schizophrenia and SSD, is not limited by differences in the indicators of age-related immaturity. Infantilism shows an affinity to the dimensional structures of the negative symptoms, acting as primary psychopathological formations – apathoabulic disorders. Conversely, puerilism is derived from the positive symptoms – psychopathological formations related to the dissociative disorders.
From the perspective of the modern concept of schizophrenia, infantilism and puerilism are associated with polar dimensional structures (positive-negative symptoms) and, accordingly, can be regarded as psychopathologically heterogeneous formations.