T61. FEELINGS OF SHAME AND GUILT IN INDIVIDUALS AT ULTRA-HIGH RISK FOR PSYCHOSIS

Abstract Background Self-conscious emotions, such as shame and guilt, play a key role in one’s thoughts and behaviors. Our study investigated how shame and guilt were different concerning multiple aspects of social cognitive abilities, and we evaluated the self-conscious emotions in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis. Methods Firstly, one hundred and sixty-six healthy youths were assessed for shame and guilt using the test of self-conscious affect, for empathy using interpersonal reactivity index (IRI), and for Theory of Mind (ToM) ability using the ToM picture stories task. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to predict shame and guilt from the social cognitive variables. Secondly, twenty-four UHR and 24 age- and sex-matched normal controls were compared for shame, guilt, empathy, and ToM ability. Results Results in healthy youths, regression analysis with shame revealed that fantasy (t=3.0, p=0.003, β=0.22) and personal distress (t=5.8, p<0.001, β=0.42) of IRI and affective ToM (t=2.0, p=0.044, β=0.14) were significant determinants. In the regression model of guilt, there were independent predictors including perspective taking (t=3.5, p=0.001, β=0.28) and empathic concern (t=2.1, p=0.040, β=0.17) of IRI and cognitive ToM (t=2.1, p=0.037, β=0.15). In UHR individuals, higher levels of shame (t=-2.4, p=0.021), fantasy (t=-2.3, p=0.028), and personal distress (t=-3.4, p=0.001) and lower levels of perspective taking (t=4.0, p<0.001) and cognitive ToM (t=4.2, p<0.001) were observed. Moreover, high levels of shame was correlated with increased personal distress (r=0.78, p<0.001) in UHR for psychosis. Discussion These findings suggest that empathy and ToM ability predict persons’ shame- or guilt-proneness in healthy youths, and heightened personal distress in UHR individuals may possibly influence the level of shame which could lead to socially maladjustment behaviors. Dealing with social cognitive function would be helpful for reparation to UHR individuals.

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Empathy and Its Relationship With Social Functioning in Individuals at Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.730092 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Daan Jan Kuis ◽

Tara van de Giessen ◽

Steven de Jong ◽

Bouwina Esther Sportel ◽

Nynke Boonstra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Social Functioning ◽

Perspective Taking ◽

Cognitive Empathy ◽

Reactivity Index ◽

Affective Empathy ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Social Activities ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Ultra High Risk

Introduction: Social functioning is often impaired in the ultra-high-risk (UHR) phase of psychosis. There is some evidence that empathy is also impaired in this phase and that these impairments may underlie difficulties in social functioning. The main aim of this study was to investigate whether cognitive and affective empathy are lower in people in the UHR phase of psychosis in comparison to healthy controls, and whether possible impairments have the same magnitude as in people with schizophrenia. A second aim was to examine whether there is a relationship between empathy and social functioning in individuals in the UHR phase.Method: Forty-three individuals at UHR for psychosis, 92 people with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder, and 49 persons without a psychiatric disorder completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE), and Faux Pas as instruments to measure empathy. The Time Use survey was used to measure social functioning. MAN(C)OVA was used to analyse differences between groups on empathy and social functioning, and correlations were calculated between empathy measures and social functioning for each group.Results: The UHR group presented significantly lower levels of self-reported cognitive empathy than the healthy controls, but not compared to patients with SSD, while performance-based cognitive empathy was unimpaired in the UHR group. On the affective measures, we found that people with UHR and patients with SSD had significantly higher levels of self-reported distress in interpersonal settings compared to healthy controls. In the UHR group, perspective-taking was negatively associated with time spent on structured social activities. In the SSD group, we found that structured social activities were positively associated with perspective-taking and negatively associated with personal distress in interactions with others. Lastly, in people without mental illness, social activities were positively associated with performance-based perspective-taking.Conclusion: Impairments in subjective cognitive empathy appear to be present in the UHR phase, suggesting that difficulties in interpreting the thoughts and feelings of others precede the onset of psychotic disorders. This can inform future interventions in the UHR phase.

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Examining the association between social cognition and functioning in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0004867415622691 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 51 (1) ◽

pp. 83-92 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Jack Cotter ◽

Cali Bartholomeusz ◽

Alicia Papas ◽

Kelly Allott ◽

Barnaby Nelson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Cognition ◽

High Risk ◽

Theory Of Mind ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Role Functioning ◽

Global Functioning ◽

The Social ◽

Ultra High Risk ◽

Risk Patients

Objective: Social and role functioning are compromised for the majority of individuals at ultra-high risk of psychosis, and it is important to identify factors that contribute to this functional decline. This study aimed to investigate social cognitive abilities, which have previously been linked to functioning in schizophrenia, as potential factors that impact social, role and global functioning in ultra-high risk patients. Method: A total of 30 ultra-high risk patients were recruited from an established at-risk clinical service in Melbourne, Australia, and completed a battery of social cognitive, neurocognitive, clinical and functioning measures. We examined the relationships between all four core domains of social cognition (emotion recognition, theory of mind, social perception and attributional style), neurocognitive, clinical and demographic variables with three measures of functioning (the Global Functioning Social and Role scales and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale) using correlational and multiple regression analyses. Results: Performance on a visual theory of mind task (visual jokes task) was significantly correlated with both concurrent role ( r = 0.425, p = 0.019) and global functioning ( r = 0.540, p = 0.002). In multivariate analyses, it also accounted for unique variance in global, but not role functioning after adjusting for negative symptoms and stress. Social functioning was not associated with performance on any of the social cognition tasks. Conclusion: Among specific social cognitive abilities, only a test of theory of mind was associated with functioning in our ultra-high risk sample. Further longitudinal research is needed to examine the impact of social cognitive deficits on long-term functional outcome in the ultra-high risk group. Identifying social cognitive abilities that significantly impact functioning is important to inform the development of targeted intervention programmes for ultra-high risk individuals.

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Shame and guilt in youth at ultra-high risk for psychosis

Comprehensive Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152241 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 108 ◽

pp. 152241

Author(s):

Hye Yoon Park ◽

Eunchong Seo ◽

Kyung Mee Park ◽

Se Jun Koo ◽

Eun Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Ultra High Risk ◽

Shame And Guilt

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Empathic abilities and their mediators in Tunisian psychiatry trainees

The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice ◽

10.1108/jmhtep-05-2020-0033 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (6) ◽

pp. 317-330

Author(s):

Bochra Nourhene Saguem ◽

Zeineb Bouzaâbia ◽

Amel Braham ◽

Selma Ben Nasr

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Emotion Regulation ◽

Perspective Taking ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Empathic Concern ◽

Self Report ◽

Reactivity Index ◽

Professional Activity ◽

Personal Distress ◽

Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to assess empathy dimensions in Tunisian psychiatry trainees and to evaluate their relationship with relevant professional and extra-professional factors. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire survey was administered to the psychiatry trainees affiliated in the four faculties of medicine of Tunisia (n = 120). It comprised, in addition to sociodemographic and professional variables, the interpersonal reactivity index, a multidimensional instrument that evaluates perspective taking, empathic concern, personal distress and fantasy. Other self-report measures were used to assess emotion regulation, social support and self-efficacy. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Findings The response rate was 71%. Descriptive statistics showed that personal distress’ scores were lower than the other empathy dimensions’ scores. Perspective taking scores were negatively correlated with emotion regulation difficulties. Personal distress scores were positively correlated with emotion regulation difficulties. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that being an only child significantly contributed to perspective taking and having an extra-professional activity significantly contributed to less personal distress. Perceived stress, social support and having a master’s degree were significant predictors for empathic concern. Self-efficacy was a significant predictor of perspective taking, with emotion regulation difficulties mediating this relationship. Practical implications Interventions dedicated to improve psychiatry trainees’ empathy should focus not only on clinical practice and medical education but also on emotional support and recovery activities. Originality/value A unique feature of this study is the investigation of the potential impacts of emotion regulation difficulties and perceived self-efficacy on empathic abilities of psychiatry trainees.

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Religiosity and Psychotic Ideation in Stable Schizophrenia: A Role for Empathic Perspective-Taking

Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.3390/bs10020053 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 53

Author(s):

Rosó Duñó ◽

Joan Carles Oliva ◽

Adolf Tobeña ◽

Diego Palao ◽

Javier Labad

Keyword(s):

Perspective Taking ◽

Empathic Concern ◽

Reactivity Index ◽

Psychotic Symptoms ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Personal Distress ◽

Interpersonal Reactivity Index ◽

The Relationship

The relationship between religiosity and different components of empathy was explored in schizophrenia patients. A total of 81 stable schizophrenia patients and 95 controls from the nearby community completed self-reported questionnaires assessing religiosity and empathy (through the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, IRI). Patients with schizophrenia showed higher religiousness than controls and they presented less perspective-taking and empathic concern but increased personal distress in IRI scores. Regression analyses unveiled an association between religiosity and perspective-taking in schizophrenics after adjusting for age, gender, and psychotic symptoms. In conclusion, religiosity in patients with schizophrenia may be linked to variations in perspective- taking as a component of empathy.

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Alterations of empathy in mothers with a history of early life maltreatment, depression, and borderline personality disorder and their effects on child psychopathology

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291719001107 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (7) ◽

pp. 1182-1190 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Katja Dittrich ◽

Felix Bermpohl ◽

Dorothea Kluczniok ◽

Catherine Hindi Attar ◽

Charlotte Jaite ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Borderline Personality Disorder ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Perspective Taking ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Early Life ◽

Child Psychopathology ◽

Child Behavior Checklist ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Reactivity Index ◽

Personal Distress

AbstractBackgroundEarly life maltreatment (ELM), borderline personality disorder (BPD), and major depressive disorder (MDD) have been associated with empathy deficits in different domains. Lack of maternal empathy has also been related to child behavioral problems. As ELM, BPD, and MDD often co-occur, we aimed to identify dissociable effects on empathy due to these three factors. In addition, we aimed to investigate their indirect effects via empathy on child psychopathology.MethodsWe included 251 mothers with and without MDD (in remission), BPD and ELM and their children, aged 5–12. We used the Interpersonal Reactivity Index as a measure of empathy on four different dimensions (personal distress, empathic concern, perspective taking, and fantasy) and the Child Behavior Checklist as a measure of child psychopathology.ResultsHaving included all three factors (ELM, MDD, BPD) in one analysis, we found elevated personal distress in MDD and BPD, and lower levels of perspective-taking in BPD, but no effects from ELM on any empathy subscales. Furthermore, we found indirect effects from maternal BPD and MDD on child psychopathology, via maternal personal distress.ConclusionThe present study demonstrated the dissociable effects of maternal ELM, MDD, and BPD on empathy. Elevated personal distress in mothers with BPD and MDD may lead to higher levels of child psychopathology.

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Relationship between high platelet turnover and platelet function in high-risk patients with coronary artery disease on dual antiplatelet therapy

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1160/th08-01-0002 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 99 (11) ◽

pp. 930-935 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

Rossella Marcucci ◽

Roberto Caporale ◽

Rita Paniccia ◽

Eloisa Romano ◽

Gian Franco Gensini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coronary Artery Disease ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Coronary Artery ◽

High Risk ◽

Antiplatelet Therapy ◽

Dual Antiplatelet Therapy ◽

Platelet Reactivity ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Immature Platelet Fraction ◽

Artery Disease

SummaryA high platelet turnover rate produce a population of immature reticulated platelets (RP) that could confer, despite of antiplatelet drugs, a residual platelet reactivity (RPR) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. To assess the influence of RP on platelet reactivity in CAD patients on dual antiplatelet therapy we measured RP in 372 patients by using the Sysmex XE-2100 haematology analyzer and platelet function by optical platelet aggregometry (PA) on platelet-rich-plasma induced by 1 mmol arachidonic acid (AA-PA) and 10 μM ADP (ADP-PA). RPR was defined as either AA-PA >20% or ADP-PA >70%. RP were expressed as a percentage of RP of the total optical platelet count (immature platelet fraction; IPF) and as the percentage of RP highly fluorescent (higly fluorescent immature platelet fraction; H-IPF). Moderate but significant positive correlations between PA, IPF, H-IPF, and mean platelet volume (MPV) were found. According to tertiles of IPF, H-IPF and MPV, a significant trend for an increase of platelet aggregation by AA and ADP was evidenced. Furthermore, a significant difference for IPF, H-IPF and MPV between patients with and without RPR was observed. A linear regression analysis showed that IPF, H-IPF and MPV significantly affected PA measured by AA and ADP. At multivariate linear regression analysis these associations were confirmed. Moreover, a logistic regression analysis demonstrated that IPF, H-IPF and MPV significantly influenced the risk of RPR, and in the multivariate model these results remained significant. This study indicates that a high rate of platelet turnover is a new mechanism associated with platelet reactivity in high risk CAD patients on dual antiplatelet therapy.

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Internet Gaming Disorder in Adolescence: Investigating Profiles and Associated Risk Factors

10.21203/rs.3.rs-224088/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mirna Macur ◽

Halley M Pontes

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

High Risk ◽

Video Games ◽

Linear Regression ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Internet Gaming Disorder ◽

Multiple Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Self Control ◽

Gaming Disorder ◽

Internet Gaming

Abstract Background: Since electronic gaming is particularly appealing to children and adolescents, they may be at greater risk for developing Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). This study aimed to explore the characteristics of adolescents at risk of developing IGD because it is a relatively new disorder included in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 2013. Harmful consequences of disordered gaming have also been recognized by the World Health Organization that recently included ‘Gaming Disorder’ in the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases. Additionally, this study also sought to encourage preventative initiatives in adolescence, when most addictions develop. Methods: A quantitative and nationally representative study was conducted in primary schools in Slovenia with eighth grade as the primary sampling unit (N = 1,071, Meanage = 13,44 years, SDage = 0.59). Psychometric test measuring IGD was administered to identify participants’ IGD risk and to compare ‘high risk’ and ‘low risk’ students in relation to free time activities, self-control, and parent-child relationship. T–test for independent samples was computed and multiple linear regression analysis performed to identify the most relevant predictors of IGD.Results: About 4.7% (n = 48) [95% CI: 3.4%-6.0%] of Slovenian adolescents were found to be at high risk of developing IGD. These were mostly boys (n = 42, 87.5%), and their preferred leisure activities involved more screen time activities (e.g., watching TV, playing video games, using social media). Moreover, high risk IGD participants showed significantly lower levels of self-control compared to low risk IGD participants and poorer understanding with their parents. Perceived satisfaction with life and mental health did not differ significantly between the two groups. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed five key predictors of IGD in adolescents: time spent gaming at weekends (ß = 0.27), male gender (ß = 0.20), low self-control (ß = -0.19), time spend gaming from Monday to Friday (ß = 0.11) and gaming as a frequent free time activity (ß = 0.11).Conclusion: Public health measures should target adolescents at risk of developing IGD in early age, because they are particularly drawn to video games and present greater IGD vulnerability.

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Reduced activation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex during self-referential processing in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0004867419898529 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 54 (5) ◽

pp. 528-538

Author(s):

Hye Yoon Park ◽

Kyoungri Park ◽

Eunchong Seo ◽

Se Jun Koo ◽

Minji Bang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Neural Activity ◽

Perspective Taking ◽

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Person Perspective ◽

Referential Processing ◽

Ultra High Risk ◽

Third Person ◽

First Person Perspective ◽

Third Person Perspective

Objective: Defects in self-referential processing and perspective-taking are core characteristics that may underlie psychotic symptoms and impaired social cognition in schizophrenia. Here, we investigated the neural correlates of self-referential processing regardless of the perspective taken and third-person perspective-taking regardless of the target person to judge relevance in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis. We also explored relationships between alterations in neural activity and neurocognitive function and basic self (‘ ipseity’) disorder. Methods: Twenty-two ultra-high-risk individuals and 28 healthy controls completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging task. While being scanned, participants were asked to take a first-person perspective or to put themselves in their close relative’s place thereby adopting a third-person perspective during judgments of the relevance of personality trait adjectives to one’s self and a close relative. Results: For self-referential (vs other-referential) processing, ultra-high-risk individuals showed less neural activity in the left ventromedial prefrontal cortex/medial orbitofrontal cortex, which was correlated with poor working memory performance. When taking a third-person perspective (vs first-person perspective), ultra-high-risk individuals showed more activity in the middle occipital gyrus. Conclusion: Taken together, our findings suggest that ultra-high-risk individuals already show aberrant neural activity during self-referential processing which may possibly be related to engagement of working memory resources.

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Reading Minds, Reading Stories: Social-Cognitive Abilities Affect the Linguistic Processing of Narrative Viewpoint

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.698986 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Lynn S. Eekhof ◽

Kobie van Krieken ◽

José Sanders ◽

Roel M. Willems

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Eye Movements ◽

Perspective Taking ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Linguistic Processing ◽

Narrative Processing ◽

Inner World ◽

The One ◽

Eye Movements During Reading

Although various studies have shown that narrative reading draws on social-cognitive abilities, not much is known about the precise aspects of narrative processing that engage these abilities. We hypothesized that the linguistic processing of narrative viewpoint—expressed by elements that provide access to the inner world of characters—might play an important role in engaging social-cognitive abilities. Using eye tracking, we studied the effect of lexical markers of perceptual, cognitive, and emotional viewpoint on eye movements during reading of a 5,000-word narrative. Next, we investigated how this relationship was modulated by individual differences in social-cognitive abilities. Our results show diverging patterns of eye movements for perceptual viewpoint markers on the one hand, and cognitive and emotional viewpoint markers on the other. Whereas the former are processed relatively fast compared to non-viewpoint markers, the latter are processed relatively slow. Moreover, we found that social-cognitive abilities impacted the processing of words in general, and of perceptual and cognitive viewpoint markers in particular, such that both perspective-taking abilities and self-reported perspective-taking traits facilitated the processing of these markers. All in all, our study extends earlier findings that social cognition is of importance for story reading, showing that individual differences in social-cognitive abilities are related to the linguistic processing of narrative viewpoint.

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