A Study of Emotional Intelligence and Facial Emotional Labelling among Patients with Remitted Bipolar Disorder, First Degree Relatives and Normal Controls

Bipolar disorder characterized by abnormalities in recognizing the emotions in facial expression and display deficits on performance measures of emotional intelligence. The present study aimed to examine the facial emotion labelling and emotional intelligence in remitted bipolar disorder and their first degree relatives, which can provide evidence for the presence of genetic component in bipolar disorder. This was a cross sectional hospital based study done at Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi and purposive sampling was used. The sample consisted of 30 patients with bipolar disorder according to ICD-10 DCR criteria and 30 sex matched first degree relatives of BPAD patients and 30 sex matched normal controls from the community (Matched with patient group). After taking informed consent from the three group Socio-demographic and clinical data sheet, General Health Questionnaire, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Young Mania Rating Scale, Facial Recognition Task, Baron Emotional Quotient Inventory were administered. Data was analyzed with the help of discrete and continuous variables. Chi square test was used for comparing categorical variables and student t-test for continuous variables. Pearson's correlation analysis was used for finding out the correlations between variables. Results showed patient with euthymic bipolar disorder have significant facial emotional labelling deficit and impaired emotional intelligence. These deficits may be considered as an endophenotype of the disease since they are present in euthymic bipolar patients and also in the unaffected relative of bipolar patients.