Empathy and schizotypy following acquired brain damage.

CONCLUSIONS: Schizotypy levels are elevated following brain damage, and frontal brain injury is linked to greater difficulties with the social skills component of empathy. Schizotypy appears to be an important consideration when understanding the link between empathy and frontal brain damage, with higher schizotypy levels associated with reduced social skills empathy in this population. Future research is now needed to establish whether problems with more implicit aspects of social understanding are relevant to understanding the relationship between schizotypy and poor social behavioural outcomes identified in other clinical groups that present with frontal brain damage. PRACTITIONER POINTS: People with an acquired brain injury experience deficits in empathic processing as well as elevated levels of schizotypal traits. Schizotypy levels and social skills empathy were inversely related in people who had experienced a frontal acquired brain injury, suggesting that schizotypy might be important for understanding social skill difficulties in this particular population. These findings highlight the potential benefit of including social cognitive assessments and schizotypy measures in standard neuropsychological assessment batteries. PMID: 33314162 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: The British Journal of Clinical Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Br J Clin Psychol Source Type: research