Theory of Mind in Somatization and Depression: Is It Cause or Phenomenon?

In this study, we aimed to investigate the relation between somatic and depressive symptoms with mentalization. A total of 48 patients diagnosed with SSD, 50 patients diagnosed with MDD, and 50 healthy individuals, participated the study. The Montgomery-Asperg Depression Scale, Symptom Checklist-90 Revised, and Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) were applied to the participants. The patients with SSD showed significantly the lowest performance of theory of mind. There was no significant difference between MDD and healthy controls. High somatization score was found to be a predictor for low RMET scores (95% confidence interval, −0.339; p = 0.014). Mentalization deficit seems to be associated with somatization rather than depression.

Source: The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease - December 1, 2021 Category: Psychiatry Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research