Background Previous research has shown that context (e.g. culture) can have an impact on speed and accuracy when identifying facial expressions of emotion. Patients with a major depressive disorder... Show moreBackground Previous research has shown that context (e.g. culture) can have an impact on speed and accuracy when identifying facial expressions of emotion. Patients with a major depressive disorder (MDD) are known to have deficits in the identification of facial expressions, tending to give rather stereotypical judgments. While healthy individuals perceive situations which conflict with their own cultural values more negatively, this pattern would be even stronger in MDD patients, as their altered mood results in stronger biases. In this study we investigate the effect of cultural contextual cues on emotion identification in depression. Methods Emotional faces were presented for 100 ms to 34 patients with an MDD and matched controls. Stimulus faces were either covered by a cap and scarf (in-group condition) or by an Islamic headdress (niqab; out-group condition). Speed and accuracy were evaluated. Results Results showed that across groups, fearful faces were identified faster and with higher accuracy in the out-group than in the in-group condition. Sadness was also identified more accurately in the out-group condition. In comparison, happy faces were more accurately (and tended to be faster) identified in the in-group condition. Furthermore, MDD patients were slower, yet not more accurate in identifying expressions of emotion compared to controls. Limitations All patients were on pharmacological treatment. Participants’ political orientation was not included. The experiment differs from real life situations. Conclusion While our results underline findings that cultural context has a general impact on emotion identification, this effect was not found to be more prominent in patients with MDD. Show less
Introduction Being able to understand other people's emotions and intentions is crucial for social interactions and well-being. Deficits in theory of mind (ToM) functioning hamper this ability and... Show moreIntroduction Being able to understand other people's emotions and intentions is crucial for social interactions and well-being. Deficits in theory of mind (ToM) functioning hamper this ability and have been observed in depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders. However, results of previous research in depression have been inconclusive, possibly due to the presence of comorbid disorders and the disregarding of other modulating factors. Methods Thirty-eight patients with a major depressive disorder (MDD) and forty healthy matched controls were assessed with a ToM task using animated triangles. Results were correlated with attachment styles, empathy abilities and neurocognitive performance. Results Our findings show that 1) healthy female controls performed significantly stronger on the ToM task than female MDD patients, 2) these performance differences were driven by attachment styles and 3) depression severity did not impact task performance. Limitations The pharmacological treatment of the majority of patients might limit the generalizability of this study. Discussion Results indicate a gender-specific impact of attachment styles on ToM performance. Future studies should investigate whether impairments in social cognitive tasks pose a risk factor for depression and/or interactional styles or vice versa. Moreover, with regard to remediation programs gender-specific needs should be taken into account. Show less
