Spatiotemporal psychopathology-German version of the Scale for Space and Time Experience in Psychosis (STEP) : Avalidated measurement instrument for the assessment of spatial and temporal experience in psychotic disorders

Abstract

Historical authors (e.g., Ludwig Binswanger and Eugène Minkowski) postulated that the experience of patients with schizophrenia is characterized by time fragmentation. From aclinical perspective, patients with schizophrenia also suffer from difficulties in spatial perception (e.g., abnormalities in the experience of interpersonal distance and spatial orientation). Although these changes can lead to aserious detachment from reality, to considerable suffering of the affected persons and to difficulties in the therapeutic process, the abnormal experience of space and time in psychotic disorders has not yet been sufficiently investigated. One possible reason is the lack of appropriate and standardized instruments that quantify the experience of space and time in patients with psychotic disorders. Based on an innovative concept, the so-called spatiotemporal psychopathology (STPP), aclinical rating scale for the systematic-quantitative assessment of spatial and temporal experience in patients with psychotic disorders was developed. This article presents the German version of the Scale for Space and Time Experience in Psychosis (STEP). The original English version of the STEP measures different spatial (14phenomena) and temporal (11phenomena) phenomena in 25items. The STEP shows both ahigh internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94) and asignificant correlation with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS; p < 0.001). In summary, the German version of the STEP scale presented here represents an important instrument in the German-speaking countries for the assessment of spatial and temporal experience in patients with psychotic disorders.