Characteristics of facial expression recognition in patients withstable major depressive disorders / 中国心理卫生杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate whether facial expression recognition correct rates were changed in stable patients with major depressive disorder.Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed in patients with major depressive disorder (n=80) (according to the DSM-IV) and matched normal controls by age, gender and education year (n=41) in this study.All subjects would recognize five different expression (anger, contempt, fear, happiness and sadness).These emotions were displayed on four different male and female computerized cartoon faces, and each expression was shown once in a static format and once in a dynamic format.The facial expression recognition correct percentage would be compared between the two groups.Results:The correct identification rate of contempt was lower in the patients than in the normal controls (93％ vs.94％, P＜0.05).The correct identification rate of dynamic contempt was lower in the patients than in the normal controls (93％ vs.95％, P＜0.05).The correct identification rate of fear was lower in the patients than in the normal controls (89％ vs.93％, P＜0.05).The correct identification rate of dynamic fear was lower in the patients than in the normal controls (90％ vs.94％, P＜0.05).Regarding error rates of misattribution, compared with normal controls, depressive patients over-identified fear to anger (3.7％vs.1.8％) and contempt (2.9％vs.0.9％), sadness to contempt (5.0％ vs.1.7％) and happiness (2.0％ vs.0.2％) (Ps＜0.05).Conclusion:Patients with MDD have significantly great difficulties identifying negative expressions.