Attachment styles moderate Theory of Mind differences between persons with schizophrenia, first-degree relatives and controls

CONCLUSIONS: Attachment anxiety is related to poorer levels of ToM in patients, suggesting this may have a contributory role in schizophrenia. The findings stress the need for longitudinal research into the directionality of the relationship between ToM and attachment anxiety.PRACTITIONER POINTS: Relationships with significant others might be a factor that influence the way in which social information is processed by persons with diagnosis of psychotic disorders. In patients, higher levels of attachment anxiety - that is, low self-worth, fear of abandonment and rejection, continuous vigilance of threat-related cues - were associated with a lower ability to understand the mental states of others. However, at lower levels of attachment anxiety, their Theory of Mind performance was comparable to that of relatives and controls. This effect was not influenced by symptom severity. Further research is required to confirm the potential influence of attachment insecurity on ToM ability as the latter is strongly related to patient's functional outcomes.PMID:34036577 | DOI:10.1111/bjc.12308
Source: The British Journal of Clinical Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Source Type: research