Empathy, depressive symptoms, and social functioning among individuals with schizophrenia

Amy C. Abramowitz, Emily J. Ginger, Jackie K. Gollan, Matthew J. Smith*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Scopus citations

Abstract

Empathy deficits have been associated with schizophrenia and depression. We compared whether individuals with schizophrenia with and without co-occurring depressive symptoms differed on self-reported and performance-based measures of empathy and social functioning. We also examined the relationships among depressive symptoms, empathy, clinical symptoms, and social functioning. Twenty-eight individuals with schizophrenia and depressive symptoms, 32 individuals with schizophrenia without depressive symptoms, and 44 control subjects were compared on assessments of depressive symptoms, empathy, global neurocognition, clinical symptoms, and social functioning. Both groups of individuals with schizophrenia scored higher than controls on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index personal distress subscale. Individuals with schizophrenia and co-occurring depressive symptoms scored significantly higher than individuals with schizophrenia without depressive symptoms on the personal distress subscale. Personal distress and depressive symptoms were significantly correlated among individuals with schizophrenia and co-occurring depressive symptoms, while both measures negatively correlated with social functioning. Emotional empathy was related to clinical symptoms in both groups of individuals with schizophrenia. Personal distress partially mediated the relationship between co-occurring depressive symptoms and social functioning. Personal distress may be an important implication for social functioning among individuals with schizophrenia and co-occurring depressive symptoms, and should be examined further as a potential treatment target.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)325-332
Number of pages8
JournalPsychiatry Research
Volume216
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - May 30 2014

Funding

We would like to acknowledge the research staff at the Northwestern University Schizophrenia Research Group for study coordination and data collection, and our participants for volunteering their time. This work was funded by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine . Additional support for this study was provided by the Warren Wright Adolescent Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital׳s Stone Institute of Psychiatry .

Keywords

  • Depressive symptoms
  • Empathy
  • Personal distress
  • Schizophrenia
  • Social functioning

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Biological Psychiatry

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Empathy, depressive symptoms, and social functioning among individuals with schizophrenia'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this