Metacognition, Self-Reflection and Recovery In Schizophrenia

Abstract

Metacognition reflects a spectrum of activities that includes discrete acts in which persons form ideas about specific thoughts and feelings, and synthetic acts in which persons integrate discrete thoughts and feelings into complex representations of themselves and others. This article reviews literature suggesting that persons with schizophrenia and related psychosis experience deficits across the spectrum of metacognitive activities and that these deficits play a key role in dysfunction, often mediating and moderating the impact of symptoms and social adversity on daily life. Treatment approaches including metacognitive training and adaptations of psychotherapy are still in their infancy. Future work is needed to study the etiology of deficits in discrete and synthetic metacognition, as well as their overlap with related constructs such as mentalization and social cognition.

Keywords:

• agency
• mentalization
• metacognition
• neurocognition
• psychosis
• quality of life
• recovery
• schizophrenia
• social cognition
• symptoms

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.