[Facial emotion recognition in patients with recurrent depressive disorder and patients with schizophrenia].

UNLABELLED

The ability to recognize emotion on the basis of facial expressions is an important component of emotional intelligence. Correct identification of facial mimics is a crucial element of nonverbal communication and it facilitates the processes of social cognition. The impairment of identification of facial emotion can contribute to i.a. deterioration in social functioning. Numerous empirical studies have proven that facial emotion recognition is disordered in schizophrenia and depression. The aim of the study was to compare the ability to recognize facial emotions between patients with schizophrenia, patients with recurrent depressive disorder and healthy controls. Moreover, the relation between scale of the impairment and severity of clinical symptoms was examined.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Participants of the study were divided into three groups: patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (n = 36), patients diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder (n = 36) and healthy controls (n = 36). Facial emotion recognition was assessed in each group by using Emotional Intelligence Scale (SIE-T). Furthermore, the correlation between the performance in SIE-T and severity of clinical symptoms, assessed with Hamilton Depression Dating Scale and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was tested.

RESULTS

Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were significantly impaired in SIE-T when compared with patients with depression and healthy controls. No statistically significant differences were observed between two latter groups. However, a correlation between performance and severity of depressive symptoms, as well as a trend towards a correlation between severity of positive symptoms and performance in SIE-T were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with schizophrenia displayed the most severe deficits in facial emotion recognition of all three groups, and their impairment was independent from severity of symptoms. However, in depression deficits are related to severity of depression symptoms. The impairment of facial emotion recognition can significantly affect patients' social functioning.