Affiliations: [a] School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia | [b] Mental Health, School of Medicine, The University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Suncica Sunny Lah, Mungo Mac Callum Building (A19), School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Tel.: +61 2 9351 2648; Fax: +61 2 9351 7328; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Objective:This theoretically driven study aimed to determine contribution of emotional perception impairments to social behaviour following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods:Adults with severe TBI (n = 24) participated. Emotion perception predictors included: (i) appraisal: Montreal Set of Facial Displays of Emotion, The Adapted Story Task, (ii) affective state: Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and (iii) regulation: Delis Kaplan Executive Function System - Colour Word Interference and Word Fluency. Social behavioural outcomes were (i) interpersonal: Key Behaviors Change Inventory (KBCI) - Interpersonal Difficulties and (ii) communication: KBCI - Communication Problems. Results:Social behaviours correlated with affective state, but not appraisal or regulation. Simultaneous regression analyses revealed significant independent contributions of affective state: (i) the IRI Perspective Taking to the KBCI Interpersonal Difficulties and (ii) the DASS-21 (composite) and IRI Perspective Taking to the KBCI Communication Problems. The models explained 52% and 72% of the variance of the KBCI Interpersonal Difficulties and Communication Problems respectively. Conclusions:This study provides evidence that impairments in certain aspects of emotion perception: affective state [empathy (perspective taking) and mood], but not appraisal and regulation, contribute to social behaviour difficulties in patients with severe TBI, which has important implications for rehabilitation.
Keywords: Brain injuries, emotions, social behaviour, rehabilitation
