title: Social dysfunction in bipolar disorder: pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to assess the social skills of euthymic patients with bipolar disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 25 outpatients with bipolar disorder type I were evaluated in comparison with a group of 31 healthy volunteers who were matched in terms of level of education, age, sex and intelligence. Both groups were assessed using a self-report questionnaire, the Brazilian Inventario de Habilidades Sociais (IHS, Social Skills Inventory). Two Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale subtests (Picture Arrangement and Comprehension) were also used in order to assess subject ability to analyse social situations and to make judgements, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with bipolar disorder had lower IHS scores for the domains that assessed conversational skills/social self-confidence and social openness to new people/situations. Patients with anxiety disorders had high scores for the domain that assessed self-confidence in the expression of positive emotions. No differences were found between patients and controls in performance on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Picture Arrangement and Comprehension subtests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Euthymic patients with bipolar disorder present inhibited and overattentive behaviour in relation to other people and their environment. This behaviour might have a negative impact on their level of social functioning and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Psychology and Neuropsychology Units, and Bipolar Research Program, Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil. crisrocca@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Cristiana Castanho
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: de Almeida Rocca
authors.forename: Marcia Britto
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: de Macedo-Soares
authors.forename: Clarice
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gorenstein
authors.forename: Renata Sayuri
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tamada
authors.forename: Cilly Kluger
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Issler
authors.forename: Rodrigo Silva
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Angela Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Schwartzmann
authors.forename: Beny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lafer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014888:Wechsler Scales