Social cognition in patients with major depression disorder: Evidence from reading mind in the eyes test

The purpose of the present study was to compare social cognition abilities in patients with major depressed and matched healthy subjects. The research design was retrospective, causal comparative and the statistical population of this study comprised of 160 patients with major depression disorder in Loghman Hospital in Tehran. In a cross-sectional study, 45 patients with major depression disorder (based on diagnosis by a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist) were compared with 50 healthy subjects by means of convenient sampling method. Baron-Cohen’s (2001) Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) was used as the research tool. Data were analyzed through Student t-test and Multivariate ANOVA. Findings show significant difference in mind reading test performance in depressed and healthy individuals. Patients with major depression disorder had a significantly poorer performance in positive and neutral criteria of RMET and better performance in negative criteria. Furthermore healthy subjects had better performance in positive and neutral criteria than negative and this pattern was reversed in patients with major depression. Deficit in abilities related to the theory of mind in depressed patients can be considered as a possible cause of cognitive distortion of these patients. Based on the findings of the present study, evaluation and training of social cognition could be considered as a therapeutic technique in depressed patients.