Influence Clinical, Sociodemographic Factors On Mentalization In Schizophrenic Patients

Abstract

Modern society is characterized by a high level of social uncertainty, instability, transitivity, which cannot but affect the qualitative aspects of existing social groups. These social conditions appear to be associated with the abilities in mentalization: understanding of mental states, which is especially difficult for patients with mental illnesses. The present study attempted to differentiate the connection between such clinical features of mentalization impairments as pseudo-mentalization and “psychic equivalence”, revealed through the lack of cognitive processing of social experience (the “complexity of representations” and the “understanding of social causality”) and the deficiency of emotional investment to relationships. Thus, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, “social anxiety,” reinforcing the negative “affective tone of relationships,” are associated with low empathy (p 0.05), while “limited affect,” increasing with the escalation of such deficiencies as “strange behavior and speech,” “general disorganization” and is also associated with reduced “understanding of social causality” (p 0.05). In the course of studies, it appeared that individuals with a higher education, as well as qualified in social sciences and humanities, have stronger skills in cognitive analysis of mental states: in “complexity of representation” (p 0.01) and “understanding social causality” (p 0.01). Patients not included in different social contexts are losing interest in other people and communication with them, limited in education and work possibilities, are deprived of an important resource necessary for establishing mutual understanding and productive interpersonal interaction.