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Herold M, Kovács GX, Herold R, Pótó Z, Fekete JD, Varga E, Hajnal A, Csulak T, Pethő B, Hebling D, Albert N, Tényi T. Patients with chronic bipolar disorder show impairments in interpreting literary fiction - A preliminary explorative study with the short story task. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 171:238-245. [PMID: 38316104 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Theory of mind (ToM) is a crucial skill in navigating and functioning in the social world. Significant ToM impairment was consistently found in bipolar disorder; it can be both a state and trait marker of the disorder. However, most of the ToM tests are not sensitive enough to detect subtle individual differences, which would be necessary for an individualized treatment plan. The Short Story Task (SST) is a new way to sensitively assess individual differences in ToM performance. The aim of the study was to test the feasibility of SST in patients with bipolar disorder. METHOD 31 persons (11 male, 20 female) with bipolar I disorder and 31 healthy individuals (15 males and 16 females) as a control group were recruited. SST was used to evaluate ToM performance. The SST uses a Hemingway novel, in which the patient is presented with a realistic social situation, where the motivations of the characters and the underlying relationships of events are not explicitly described. RESULTS In the explicit mental state reasoning questions the CG (M = 8.06) had significantly higher (p < 0.001) scores than the persons with bipolar I disorder (M = 5.03). There was no ceiling effect for explicit ToM scores in either group. Participants in CG (M = 8.03) also significantly outperformed (p = 0.006) the BG participants (M = 6.55) in the comprehension questions. The spontaneous mental state inference question was performed equally (M = 0.23) in both groups. Group assignment (t = -3.503, p < 0.001), comprehension score (t = 2.864, p = 0.006), and spontaneous mentalization (t = 2.846, p = 0.006) significantly predicted the explicit ToM performance. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we found that the Short Story Task is a promising tool for measuring ToM in patients with bipolar disorder without ceiling effect. Primarily explicit ToM was found to be deficient, which corresponds well with the ToM literature in bipolar disorder. Contrary to our hypothesis we could not detect impairment in spontaneous ToM and found that patients living with bipolar disorder also showed deficits in comprehension. The lack of assessment of neurocognitive skills is a significant limitation of the current study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márton Herold
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Gyöngyvér X Kovács
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
| | - Róbert Herold
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Pótó
- Institute of Physiotherapy and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pécs, Hungary
| | - Judit Diána Fekete
- Department of Languages for Biomedical Purposes and Communication, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
| | - Eszter Varga
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
| | - András Hajnal
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tímea Csulak
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
| | - Borbála Pethő
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
| | - Dóra Hebling
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
| | - Noémi Albert
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tamás Tényi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pécs, Hungary
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Varo C, Jimenez E, Solé B, Bonnín CM, Torrent C, Valls E, Morilla I, Lahera G, Martínez-Arán A, Vieta E, Reinares M. Social cognition in bipolar disorder: Focus on emotional intelligence. J Affect Disord 2017; 217:210-217. [PMID: 28427032 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study aims to characterize emotional intelligence (EI) variability in a sample of euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) patients through the Mayer- Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). METHOD A total of 134 euthymic BD outpatients were recruited and divided into three groups according to the total Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EIQ) score of the MSCEIT, following a statistical criterion of scores 1.5SDs above/below the normative group mean, as follows: a low performance (LP) group (EIQ <85), a normal performance (NP) group (85≤EIQ≤115), and a high performance (HP) group (EIQ >115). Afterwards, main sociodemographic, clinical, functional and neurocognitive variables were compared between the groups. RESULTS Three groups were identified: 1) LP group (n=16, 12%), 2) NP group (n=93, 69%) and 3) HP group (n=25, 19%). There were significant differences between the groups in premorbid intelligence quotient (IQ) (p=0.010), axis II comorbidity (p=0.008), subthreshold depressive symptoms (p=0.027), general functioning (p=0.013) and in four specific functional domains: autonomy, occupation, interpersonal relations and leisure time. Significant differences in neurocognitive performance were found between groups with the LP group showing the lowest attainments. LIMITATIONS The cross-sectional design of the study. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that EI variability among BD patients, assessed through MSCEIT, is lower than expected. EI could be associated with premorbid IQ, subthreshold depressive symptoms, neurocognitive performance and general functioning. The identification of different profiles of SC may help guide specific interventions for distinct patient subgroups aimed at improving social cognition, neurocognitive performance and psychosocial functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Varo
- Bipolar Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - E Jimenez
- Bipolar Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - B Solé
- Bipolar Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - C M Bonnín
- Bipolar Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - C Torrent
- Bipolar Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - E Valls
- Bipolar Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - I Morilla
- Bipolar Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - G Lahera
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Alcalá, IRyCIS, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Martínez-Arán
- Bipolar Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - E Vieta
- Bipolar Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - M Reinares
- Bipolar Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Van Rheenen TE, Rossell SL. Objective and subjective psychosocial functioning in bipolar disorder: an investigation of the relative importance of neurocognition, social cognition and emotion regulation. J Affect Disord 2014; 162:134-41. [PMID: 24767018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.03.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2013] [Revised: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with bipolar disorder (BD) experience significant psychosocial impairment. Understandings of the nature and causes of such impairment is limited by the lack of research exploring the extent to which subjectively reported functioning should be valued as an indicator of objective dysfunction, or examining the relative influence of neurocognition, social cognition and emotion regulation on these important, but different aspects of psychosocial functioning in the context of mania and depression symptoms. This study aimed to address this paucity of research by conducting a comprehensive investigation of psychosocial functioning in a well characterised group of BD patients. METHODS Fifty-one BD patients were compared to 52 healthy controls on objectively and subjectively assessed psychosocial outcomes. Relationships between current mood symptoms, psychosocial function and neurocognitive, social cognitive and emotion regulation measures were also examined in the patient group. RESULTS Patients had significantly worse scores on the global objective and subjective functioning measures relative to controls. In the patient group, although these scores were correlated, regression analyses showed that variance in each of the measures was explained by different predictors. Depressive symptomatology was the most important predictor of global subjective functioning, and neurocognition had a concurrent and important influence with depressive symptoms on objective psychosocial function. Emotion regulation also had an indirect effect on psychosocial functioning via its influence on depressive symptomatology. LIMITATIONS As this study was cross-sectional in nature, we are unable to draw precise conclusions regarding contributing pathways involved in psychosocial functioning in BD. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that patients' own evaluations of their subjective functioning represent important indicators of the extent to which their observable function is impaired. They also highlight the importance of incorporating cognitive and emotion regulation assessments into clinical practice when working to reduce psychosocial dysfunction with patients diagnosed with BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamsyn E Van Rheenen
- Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre (BPsyC), School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia; Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), The Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre (BPsyC), School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia; Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), The Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Van Rheenen TE, Rossell SL. Phenomenological predictors of psychosocial function in bipolar disorder: is there evidence that social cognitive and emotion regulation abnormalities contribute? Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2014; 48:26-35. [PMID: 24126607 DOI: 10.1177/0004867413508452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Neurocognitive ability and mood have often been discussed as contributing mechanisms to the severe psychosocial dysfunction experienced in bipolar disorder (BD). In contrast, there has been little discussion on the contribution of social cognition or emotion regulation. This paper aims to assert a potential role for these constructs in psychosocial functioning in BD, with an overarching goal to highlight the necessary importance of considering them in future research examining psychosocial outcomes in the disorder. METHODS This paper provides a theoretical synthesis of available and indirect evidence for an influence of (1) social cognition and (2) emotion regulation on psychosocial functioning; it acknowledges important clinical questions that need addressing, and discusses how current research might be translated to improve the treatment of psychosocial dysfunction in BD. RESULTS Given their assumed roles in facilitating social interactions and modulating behaviours, it is certainly plausible that abnormalities in social cognition and emotion regulation are detrimental to psychosocial functioning. Currently, there is only minimal direct evidence examining their influence, although existing BD studies are preliminarily supportive of relationships between these constructs. CONCLUSIONS There are reasonable theoretical grounds, supported by indirect and preliminary evidence, to suggest that social cognition and emotion regulation may be important in the prediction of psychosocial outcome in BD. However, this proposition is limited by the paucity of empirical research directly examining this matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamsyn E Van Rheenen
- 1Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre (BPsyC), Faculty of Life and Social Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia
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