title: Theory of mind ability predicts prognosis of outpatients with major depressive disorder.
abstract: A theory of mind (ToM) deficit in patients with major depressive episodes is associated with difficulty in social adjustment, and thus may indicate a poorer prognosis. We investigated the association between ToM deficits and the outcome in patients who had recovered from major depressive episodes. We evaluated ToM abilities of 100 patients with major depressive disorder during a period of remission. The patients were followed up for one year and their outcomes observed. After one year, patients who had a ToM deficit according to a second-order false belief question relapsed significantly more frequently than did patients who did not have a deficit (Fisher's exact test P<0.0001; relative risk (RR)=8.286; CI 2.608, 26.324). Significant differences between these two groups were shown in scores of the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (P<0.0001). Our results suggest that a ToM deficit after symptom remission in patients with major depressive disorder predicts a higher relapse rate and lower social function one year after recovering from a major depressive episode.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishi-ogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 116-8567, Japan. Electronic address: yamadaps@dnh.twmu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Inogashira Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigenobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001076:Aptitude / Q000502:physiology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010045:Outpatients; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D056345:Theory of Mind / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Major depressive disorder; Prognosis; Relapse; Theory of mind (ToM)