Facial emotion recognition and its relationship to symptomatic, subjective, and functional outcomes in outpatients with chronic schizophrenia

Background: Outcome in schizophrenia is multidimensional and consists of clinical and psychosocial domains. Difficulties in affect recognition are a hallmark of schizophrenia, but there is little research investigating the consequences of this deficit on patients' psychosocial status. Aims: This cross-sectional study examined the relationship of facial affect recognition and treatment outcomes in terms of psychopathology, quality of life (QOL), and psychosocial functioning. Method: We investigated 40 regular attendees of a specialized schizophrenia outpatient clinic who had been stable both from a symptomatic and a medication perspective for a minimum of 6 months. Results: Affect recognition was positively associated with the level of education and negatively with increasing age. Deficits in this area correspondet to the severity of negative symptoms as well as to poor social, work, and global functioning. Conclusions: These findings suggest that affect recognition is a key feature of psychosocial functioning in stable outpatients with schizophrenia.