Background:
Alienation from one’s mirror reflection is a hallmark of identity disintegration in schizophrenia. This study investigated whether observing one’s reflection during the Mirror Procedure (MP) was more frequently associated with narrative disturbances, atypical behaviors, and nonverbal signs of tension in individuals with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls. Additionally, the relationship between narrative disruptions in MP and clinical characteristics of schizophrenia and disturbances in the bodily identity measured by questionnaire was examined in a clinical group.

Participants and procedure:
The sample included 82 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia in a stable mental state and 82 matched controls. All participants completed the Bodily Identity Questionnaire and took part in the MP. Narratives elicited during the MP were evaluated for both content and formal disturbance. Atypical behaviors and nonverbal signs of tension were also coded.

Results:
Compared to controls, participants with schizophrenia displayed more narrative disturbances and atypical behaviors, but fewer nonverbal signs of tension. Only in the clinical group were narrative disruptions in the MP associated with altered bodily self-identity as measured by the questionnaire.

Conclusions:
The findings suggest that visual activation of body representation in schizophrenia triggers both narrative and behavioral disorganization. While healthy individuals experienced elevated emotional tension, their narratives remained coherent, though often negative. In contrast, the disorganized speech and behaviors observed in schizophrenia stem from the disembodiment of the self rather than from dissatisfaction with appearance. The MP appears to validly assess bodily identity disturbances specifically in schizophrenia, as only this group showed a consistent association between narrative and questionnaire-based measures.