Anomalous subjective experience and psychosis risk in young depressed patients.
BACKGROUND
Help-seeking young people often display depressive symptoms. In some patients, these symptoms may co-exist with clinically high-risk mental states for psychosis. The aim of this study was to determine differences in subjective experience and social perception in young depressed patients with and without psychosis risk.


METHODS
Participants were 68 young persons with major depressive disorder. Twenty-six patients also met the criteria of attenuated or brief limited intermittent psychotic symptoms according to the Comprehensive Assessment of At Risk Mental States (CAARMS) criteria. Subjective experiences were assessed with the Bonn Scale for the Assessment of Basic Symptoms (BSABS). Recognition of complex social emotions and mental states was assessed using the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' test.


RESULTS
Perplexity, self-disorder, and diminished affectivity significantly predicted psychosis risk. Depressed patients without psychosis risk displayed impaired recognition performance for negative social emotions, whereas patients with psychosis risk were also impaired in the recognition of cognitive expressions. In the high-risk group, self-disorder was associated with impaired recognition of facial expressions.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that anomalous subjective experience and impaired recognition of complex emotions may differentiate between young depressed patients with and without psychosis risk.
Szily
Erika
E
Semmelweis University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Budapest, Hungary.
Kéri
Szabolcs
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003419:Crisis Intervention; D003702:Delusions / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003861:Depersonalization / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D018187:Personal Construct Theory; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011936:Reality Testing; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012649:Self Concept; D012938:Social Perception; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult