The structure of social intelligence impairments in schizophrenics

Abstract

The existing concepts of social cognitive impairments in schizophrenia and different approaches to their description are considered. The goal of the study was to investigate the components of social intelligence in schizophrenia and their relationships in wide context of clinical symptoms. 210 schizophrenia patients in remission with different severity of clinical symptoms and 120 healthy subjects were examined. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and other techniques for evaluation of social intelligence impairments and determination of social anhedonia levels were used. In schizophrenia patients significant decrease of social intelligence indices was found; scores for operation components of social intelligence including recognition of emotions and social competence in such patients were lower than those in healthy subjects. Results of comparative, correlation, factorial and multiple regression analysis suggest that negative symptoms and poor social anhedonia have dominating impact on social cognition components. Social anhedonia is considered to be not only an important feature of schizophrenia patients but also as a condition that mediates impacts of clinical symptoms on other impairments of social intelligence in schizophrenia.