Abstract
Studies of adults with depression point to characteristic neurocognitive deficits, including differences in processing facial
expressions. Few studies have examined face processing in juvenile depression, or taken account of other comorbid disorders.
Three groups were compared: depressed children and adolescents with conduct disorder (n = 23), depressed children and adolescents without conduct disorder (n = 29) and children and adolescents without disorder (n = 37). A novel face emotion processing experiment presented faces with ‘happy’, ‘sad’, ‘angry’, or ‘fearful’ expressions
of varying emotional intensity using morphed stimuli. Those with depression showed no overall or specific deficits in facial
expression recognition accuracy. Instead, they showed biases affecting processing of low-intensity expressions, more often
perceiving these as sad. In contrast, non-depressed controls more often misperceived low intensity negative emotions as happy.
There were no differences between depressed children and adolescents with and without conduct disorder, or between children
with comorbid depression/conduct disorder and controls. Face emotion processing biases rather than deficits appear to distinguish
depressed from non-depressed children and adolescents.
expressions. Few studies have examined face processing in juvenile depression, or taken account of other comorbid disorders.
Three groups were compared: depressed children and adolescents with conduct disorder (n = 23), depressed children and adolescents without conduct disorder (n = 29) and children and adolescents without disorder (n = 37). A novel face emotion processing experiment presented faces with ‘happy’, ‘sad’, ‘angry’, or ‘fearful’ expressions
of varying emotional intensity using morphed stimuli. Those with depression showed no overall or specific deficits in facial
expression recognition accuracy. Instead, they showed biases affecting processing of low-intensity expressions, more often
perceiving these as sad. In contrast, non-depressed controls more often misperceived low intensity negative emotions as happy.
There were no differences between depressed children and adolescents with and without conduct disorder, or between children
with comorbid depression/conduct disorder and controls. Face emotion processing biases rather than deficits appear to distinguish
depressed from non-depressed children and adolescents.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-11
- DOI 10.1007/s10802-011-9587-2
- Authors
- Karen Schepman, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology and MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
- Eric Taylor, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK
- Stephan Collishaw, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychological Medicine and Neurology and MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
- Eric Fombonne, Department of Psychiatry, The Montreal Children’s Hospital, McGill University, 4018 St. Catherine St. W., Montreal, QC H3Z 1P2, Canada
- Journal Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
- Online ISSN 1573-2835
- Print ISSN 0091-0627