Self-reported empathic abilities in schizophrenia

• Published in: Schizophrenia research Vol. 92; no. 1; pp. 85 - 89
• Main Authors: Montag, C, Heinz, A, Kunz, D, Gallinat, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-05-2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - epidemiology; Demography; Empathy; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Reactivity Index; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Medical sciences; Neuropsychological Tests; Psychiatry; Psychological Theory; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - epidemiology; Social cognition; Social Perception; Surveys and Questionnaires; Theory of mind; Schizophrenia; Interpersonal Reactivity Index; Empathy; Theory of mind; Social cognition; Psychosis; Human; Self evaluation; Social interaction; Interpersonal relation
• ISSN: 0920-9964; 1573-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2007.01.024

Abstract Background Increasing evidence indicates impairments of empathic abilities in schizophrenia that may impact outcome and course of the disease. While there is consensus on the presence of deficits in ‘theory of mind’ in this disorder, i.e. cognitive aspects of mental state attribution, the ability to infer emotional experiences of others, i.e. affective empathy, has not been investigated so far. Methods We assessed multiple dimensions of empathy in 45 schizophrenic patients and 45 healthy controls, matched for age and gender, with a self-rating instrument, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). To control for modulating effects of cognitive deficits, a neuropsychological test battery was employed. Results Schizophrenic patients showed significantly lower scores in cognitive empathy (‘perspective taking’: F = 12.176, df = 1, p = 0.001) but more self-related aversive feelings in response to the distress of others (‘personal distress: F = 16.477, df = 1, p < 0.001). Self-ratings of affective empathy, i.e. concern for others, did not differ between groups. Results in the domains of empathy were not explained by symptoms or neurocognition as revealed by regression analysis. However, lower scores in ‘perspective taking’ were found with advancing duration of illness ( r = − 0.453, p = 0.002). Conclusions Results indicate reductions of cognitive empathy but relatively preserved emotional empathic abilities in schizophrenia. Although previous studies observed deficits in emotion perception and expression, our findings support the concept of differentially disturbed abilities in cognitive and emotional empathy in schizophrenia.