Diminished Emotionality and Social Functioning in Schizophrenia

Abstract

There is indirect evidence to suggest that a subgroup of patients with schizophrenia exhibit a diminished capacity to experience both positive and negative emotions. To date however, no studies have focused specifically on this diminished emotionality (DE). The main objective of the present project was to determine whether patients with self-reported DE differed from other patients in level of social functioning, physical and social anhedonia, and negative/deficit symptoms. Seventy-three state hospital patients with DSM-IV diagnosed schizophrenia and 22 nonpsychiatric controls were examined. Results provided mixed support for the present hypotheses. Patients with self-reported DE (N = 10) versus those without (N = 63) had poorer social functioning, similar levels of physical and social anhedonia, and significantly less severe negative/deficit symptoms. Moreover, there was a substantial amount of discrepancy between patients' self-reported levels of emotionality and the ratings of their emotionality as made by trained observers. Implications of these results are discussed.