Emotional intelligence in bipolar-I-disorder: A comparison between patients, unaffected siblings, and control subjects

Abstract

Background. Impairments in social and nonsocial cognition have been demonstrated in both patients suffering from bipolar disorder (BD) and their unaffected relatives and might therefore represent a heritable marker of risk. This study investigated the relevance of emotional intelligence (EI) as part of the emotion processing domain of social cognition in this regard. Methods. A total of 54 outpatients suffering from BD, 54 unaffected siblings, and 80 control subjects were investigated using the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were performed with adjustment for the BACS composite score. The three groups were compared by one-way analysis of variance or chi-square test, depending on the variable type. As the three groups differed significantly in their level of education, additional ANCOVAs with adjustment for education were performed. Results. Patients achieved significantly lower levels of overall EI and overall nonsocial cognitive functioning compared to unaffected siblings and controls, whereas performance of the latter two groups was comparable in both domains. Conclusions. Due to comparable levels of EI in unaffected siblings of patients suffering from BD and control subjects, EI assessed by means of the MSCEIT does not represent an endophenotype for BD.

Emotional intelligence: a comparison between patients after first episode mania and those suffering from chronic bipolar disorder type I

“…Regarding sex differences in EI, our findings are in line with previous studies in which men performed worse than women on EI in non-clinical samples (Pardeller, Frajo-Apor, Kemmler, & Hofer, 2017) and BD patients (Varo et al, 2019). As for the role played by verbal memory in EI, our finding is in line with previous literature underlining how EI performance might be associated with cognitive abilities (Eack et al, 2010; Frajo-Apor et al, 2020; Varo et al, 2019). In a previous study assessing BD patients, all neurocognitive domains were associated with EI (Varo et al, 2019).…”

“…Although EI has been widely studied in patients in later stages of BD (Aparicio et al, 2017; Frajo-Apor et al, 2020; Samamé et al, 2015; Varo et al, 2019), little is known about the EI performance of patients after a FEM and the course of EI impairment across the clinical stages of BD and the evidence is seldom conflicting. So far, only two studies assessed some level of EI patients after a FEM (Daros et al, 2014; Szmulewicz et al, 2019).…”

“…Deficits in EI have been detected in patients with chronic BD (Aparicio et al, 2017;Frajo-Apor et al, 2020;McClure et al, 2005;Samamé et al, 2015;Varo et al, 2019Varo et al, , 2020. However, the evolution of EI throughout the course of BD is unclear due to the paucity of studies that have examined the deficits in EI in patients experiencing a first episode mania (FEM) (Daros, Ruocco, Reilly, Harris, & Sweeney, 2014;Szmulewicz, Lomastro, Valerio, Igoa, & Martino, 2019) and the lack of longitudinal studies on EI of these patients.…”

Impairment in Emotional Intelligence May Be Mood-Dependent in Bipolar I and Bipolar II Disorders

“…This finding may indicate that the managing emotion ability is the most impacted subdomain of emotional intelligence in the patients suffering from BD. The performance in the managing emotions branch typically predicts a majority of mental disorders, such as schizophrenia ( 58 ) and bipolar disorder, compared to unaffected siblings ( 59 ). In the current study, we found that the difference in the managing emotions scores of the MSCEIT between the BD epi and BD eut groups remained significant, implying that the ability to manage emotions could be mood-dependent and a state-like marker for the evaluation of the progressive course of the illness.…”

“…In conclusion, the early detection of a potential endo-phenotype of bipolar spectrum disorder is important due to the clinical implications, and may be used in monitoring the progression of the disorder ( 59 ). Thus far, no effect of subtypes on EI performance was noted; however, the disorder course had a greater impact instead.…”