Theory of mind deficits in patients with mild symptoms of major depressive disorder

Andrée M Cusi; Anthony Nazarov; Glenda M Macqueen; Margaret C McKinnon

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2013.06.018

Theory of mind deficits in patients with mild symptoms of major depressive disorder

Psychiatry Res. 2013 Dec 15;210(2):672-4. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2013.06.018. Epub 2013 Jul 11.

Authors

Andrée M Cusi¹, Anthony Nazarov, Glenda M Macqueen, Margaret C McKinnon

Affiliation

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

PMID: 23850430
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2013.06.018

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate theory of mind (ToM) in a sample of depressed patients with mild symptom severity using a measure with varied cognitive processing demands. Patients demonstrated impaired performance on second-order, cognitively demanding ToM scenarios. Reduced ToM ability was associated with poor psychosocial functioning.

Keywords: Cognition; Depression; Theory of mind.

MeSH terms

Adult
Cognition
Cognition Disorders / diagnosis*
Cognition Disorders / psychology
Depressive Disorder, Major / diagnosis
Depressive Disorder, Major / psychology*
Female
Humans
Male
Mental Processes*
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests
Social Behavior
Task Performance and Analysis
Theory of Mind*