title: Emotional intelligence in non-psychotic first-degree relatives of people with schizophrenia.
abstract: Subtle social cognitive deficits in unaffected relatives of schizophrenia patients have received increasing attention over the last few years, supporting their potential endophenotypic role for this disorder. The current study assessed non-psychotic first-degree relatives' performance on a multidimensional measure of emotional intelligence (EI): the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test 2.0 (MSCEIT). Endorsed by the National Institute of Mental Health, the MSCEIT is a valid and reliable instrument for detecting emotion-processing deficits among schizophrenia patients and people high in schizotypy.
  
  
  
  Thirty-seven first-degree relatives, 37 schizophrenia outpatients and 37 healthy controls completed the MSCEIT, which comprises eight subscales aimed to assess the four branches of EI: Identifying, Facilitating, Understanding and Managing Emotions. Potential associations with cognitive function and schizotypy levels, measured with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief, were further evaluated.
  
  
  
  Relatives had significantly lower MSCEIT total scores than controls and also significantly lower scores on the Identifying emotions branch. Nevertheless, schizophrenia patients still had the poorest global EI performance. The strongest positive correlations were found in relatives and controls with measures of executive function, processing speed and general intelligence. A higher level of schizotypy correlated significantly with lower MSCEIT scores among controls, but not among relatives.
  
  
  
  Contrary to expectations in the general population, the current study observed subtle EI impairment in non-psychotic first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients. These findings support the hypothesis that these EI deficiencies may be potential endophenotypes located between the clinical phenotype and the genetic predisposition for schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Auria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albacete
authors.affiliation: Polyvalent Mental Health Unit, Benito Menni CASM, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Fundació per a la Investigació i Docència María Angustias Giménez, Germanes Hospitalàries, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bosque
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Custal
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Unit L'Hospitalet, SAP Delta Llobregat, AP Costa de Ponent, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gilabert
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Unit L'Hospitalet, SAP Delta Llobregat, AP Costa de Ponent, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albiach
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Menchón
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Department, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERSAM (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain. Electronic address: fcontreras@bellvitgehospital.cat.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Contreras
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D058068:Endophenotypes; D056344:Executive Function; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Emotional intelligence; First-degree relatives; MSCEIT; Schizophrenia; Schizotypy; Social cognition