Cited by 310Schizophrenia research and treatmentAutism Spectrum Disorder ResearchMental Health and Psychiatry

A meta-analysis of mentalizing impairments in adults with schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder

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Chung, Yu Sun, Barch, Deanna, Strube, Michael·2014·Schizophrenia Bulletin

Abstract

Mentalizing has been examined both in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) primarily by either cognitive-linguistic (referred to as verbal) or emotion recognition from eyes (referred to as visual) mentalizing tasks. Each type of task is thought to measure different aspects of mentalizing. Differences in clinical features and developmental courses of each disorder may predict distinct patterns of mentalizing performance across dis orders on each type of task. To test this, a meta-analysis was conducted using 37 studies that assessed mentalizing either verbally or visually in adults with SCZ or ASD. We found that the estimated effect sizes of impairments in verbal and visual mentalizing tasks for both clinical groups were statistically large and at a similar level (overall Hedges' g = 0.73-1.05). For each disorder, adults with SCZ showed a trend towards larger impairments on verbal (overall Hedges' g = 0.99) than on visual mentalizing task (overall Hedges' g = 0.73; Qbet = 3.45, p =.06, df =1). Adults with ASD did not show different levels of impairment on the verbal versus visual tasks (Qbet = 0.08, p =.78, df =1). These results suggest that both clinical groups share, at least in part, some common cognitive processing deficits associated with mentalizing impairments.

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  • Weaker top-down control of imitation has been linked to poorer mentalizing and perspective taking, abilities that are impaired in schizophrenia.

    “Interestingly, reduced top-down modulation of imitation has also been associated with reduced mentalizing and perspective-taking ability, 36,40 abilities known to be impaired in schizophrenia.45”
  • Anomalies in social-emotional functioning are important transdiagnostic features in several psychiatric disorders.

    “Anomalies in social-emotional functioning are important transdiagnostic features in several psychiatric disorders (Bora and Berk, 2016;Bora and Köse, 2016;Chung et al., 2014;Davies et al., 2016;Henry et al., 2014;Kring and Moran, 2008).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. [10]10. Baron-Cohen S, Campbell R, Karmiloff-Smith A, Grant J, Walker J. Are children with autism blind to the mentalistic significance of the eyes? Br J Dev Psychol . 1999;13: 379-398.
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Authors
Chung, Y. S., Barch, D., & Strube, M.
Affiliations
Washington University in St. Louis (US)
Corresponding author
Chung, Yu Sun
Venue
Schizophrenia Bulletin
Published
2013-05-17
Volume
40
Issue
3
Pages
602-616
ISSN
  • 0586-7614 (ISSN-L)
  • 1745-1701
OpenAlex
W2141822795
Cited by
310
References
112
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
FWCI
2.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Schizophrenia Bulletin (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH066031)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Mental Health and Psychiatry
Keywords
mentalization, theory of mind
MeSH terms
Adult, Child Development Disorders, Pervasive, Cognition Disorders, Emotions, Facial Expression, Humans, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Regression Analysis, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenic Psychology, Social Perception, Theory of Mind

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