Journal
PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION
Volume 18, Issue 11, Pages 1109-1116Publisher
KOREAN NEUROPSYCHIATRIC ASSOC
DOI: 10.30773/pi.2021.0111
Keywords
Social cognition; Empathy; Theory of mind; Anhedonia; Magical ideation; Self-other boundary
Categories
Funding
- Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea - Minis-try of Science, ICT & Future Planning, Republic of Korea [2017R1A2B3008214]
- National Research Foundation of Korea [2017R1A2B3008214] Funding Source: Korea Institute of Science & Technology Information (KISTI), National Science & Technology Information Service (NTIS)
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The study found that UHR individuals exhibit relatively preserved cognitive empathy but compromised emotional empathy, with empathic concern being inversely associated with negative schizotypy. Additionally, ToM skills were related to positive schizotypy and executive function in UHR individuals.
Objective While recent studies have found deficits in theory of mind (ToM) skills in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis, empathic tendencies in these subjects remain unclear. The presence of high schizotypy and compromised executive functions, which are found in UHR individuals, would affect ToM skills and empathic tendencies. We investigated the ToM skills and empathic tendencies of UHR individuals and examined their relationship with schizotypy and executive function. Methods This study included 28 UHR individuals and 28 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. All participants completed a self-reported empathic scale (Interpersonal Reactivity Index) and the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales. Additionally, the ToM Picture Stories Task and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were conducted. Results UHR individuals showed a trend toward lower self-reported empathic tendencies; however, there were no differences in ToM skills between the two groups. Of the four subscales of the IRI, only empathic concern showed a significant difference between the two groups. Empathic concern was inversely associated with negative schizotypy. Conclusion Our findings suggest that UHR individuals show relatively preserved cognitive empathy but compromised emotional empathy. Furthermore, in UHR individuals, the empathic concern subscale of the IRI was associated with negative schizotypy, while ToM skills were related to positive schizotypy and executive function. Psychiatry Investig 2021;18(11):1109-1116
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