The Longitudinal Association Between Preadolescent Facial Emotion Identification and Family Factors, and Psychotic Experiences in Adolescence (The TRAILS Study)

Laura A Steenhuis,Maaike H Nauta,Agna A Bartels-Velthuis,Elisabeth C.D Van Der Stouwe,Catharina A Hartman,Gerdina H.M Pijnenborg,André Aleman

doi:10.1007/s10578-019-00922-4

Abstract

The current study examines whether facial emotion identification and family factors at preadolescence (age 11) predict psychotic experiences 5 years later during adolescence (age 16) and whether family factors may mediate the association between facial emotion identification and psychotic experiences. Data was obtained from the epidemiological cohort TRAILS (N = 2059). At preadolescence, a facial emotion identification test and three questionnaires to assess family functioning, perceived parenting styles and parenting stress, were administered. At adolescence, a questionnaire on psychotic experiences was administered. Facial emotion identification at preadolescence was not associated with psychotic experiences at adolescence, and the mediational role of family functioning was not further explored. However, increased overprotective parenting at preadolescence was associated with a higher frequency of psychotic experiences and delusions at adolescence. Future research may examine the mechanism behind the role of overprotective parenting on psychotic experiences during adolescence.

Highlights

Psychotic disorders have often been associated with social cognitive impairments [1]
The current study examines whether facial emotion identification and family factors at preadolescence predict psychotic experiences 5 years later during adolescence
Facial emotion identification at preadolescence was not associated with psychotic experiences at adolescence, and the mediational role of family functioning was not further explored

Summary

Introduction

Psychotic disorders have often been associated with social cognitive impairments [1]. One of the domains of social cognition is facial emotion identification [2], which refers to the ability to accurately identify emotional expressions from another person’s face. The ‘basic’ set of emotions (anger, disgust, fear, sadness, surprise and happiness) as proposed by Ekman and colleagues are each characterized by a distinct facial expression, physiology and evolutionary purpose [3]. Recognition of positive expressions (happiness) is preserved and recognition of negative expressions (anger, fear, sadness and disgust) is impaired [4,5,6,7], some studies report impairments for both positive and negative emotions [8].

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