الفهرس 
Social Cognition and Theory of MindOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) is one of the essential components of social cognition. Affective ToM enables us to interpret other’s feelings and behaviors. Borderline personality disorder and Schizophrenia are two distinct mental disorders, yet they have a mutual deficit in interpreting emotions, thoughts, and intentions which may lead to higher incidence of suicidality. Studies that involved social cognition, particularly ToM in Schizophrenia or Borderline personality disorder have controversial results. Therefore, this study aimed at comparing affective ToM functioning in female patients with Borderline personality disorder, Schizophrenia, and healthy controls. In addition, identifying the possible impact and any correlation exist between the affective theory of mind and liability for suicide in those patients. Sixty individuals were recruited from Institute of Psychiatry, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt and assigned into 3 groups where group A, involved 20 Borderline personality disorder patients, group B involved 20 Schizophrenic patients, and group C were healthy persons as a control. Assessment of affective ToM was done using Reading the Mind in the eyes test
(RMET) and probability of suicide was measured using Suicide Probability Scale (SPS). Results: Regarding ToM, the three groups were assessed using RMET and the results revealed a significant higher mean score (hyper mentalization) in Borderline personality disorder than both Schizophrenic patients and controls. While Schizophrenic patients had significantly lower mean score than control group (hypo mentalization). As well, Borderline personality disorder patients had a significantly higher suicide probability total score than Schizophrenic patients and in all subdomains except for hostility subdomain that was significantly higher in Schizophrenic patients. Interestingly, in Borderline personality disorder, the suicide probability total score was positively correlated with RMET. Conclusions: Borderline personality disorder patients have enhanced affective theory of mind and hyper mentalization that is significantly associated with increased suicide probability in those patients. While in Schizophrenia, hypo mentalization could not be linked to increased suicide probability. Rehabilitation and proper management of ToM abnormalities might be a crucial tool in suicide prevention in mental illnesses, particularly, Borderline personality disorder.