Emotional face-body recognition, moral judgement and empathy in eating disorders: differences between patients and general population subjects with/out eating risk factors

Introduction:
Due to difficulties of interpersonal interactions of patients diagnosed with eating disorders (EDs), the present study assessed 4 social cognition domains: facial and body recognition, moral judgment and empathy for pain.

Objectives:
The aim of the present study was to examine 4 social cognition domains in subjects with risk to have ED and patients with EDs.

Methods:
15.351 subjects responded to the National Mental Health Survey (Gómez-Restrepo, NMHS) and we selected 1.972 subjects who responded to the social cognition and risk eating behaviors modules: identification of emotions (Ekman) and intentionality, empathy, and moral cognition when harmful actions were shown (TASIT adaptation, Baez, 2014). Fifty ED patients also completed two tasks (Aviezer et al., 2012; Santamaria-García, 2019): (1) Subjects viewed pictures of bodies (faces covered) with 4 context emotions (anger, disgust, fear, sadness with context cue: i.e. holding a knife). (2) They also had to identify a congruent face-body emotion (anger face holding a knife), or incongruent (fear face with anger body).

Results:
Subjects with eating risk behaviors (ENSM) as well as patients, had difficulties recognizing emotions, mainly fear and sadness; 42% of the subjects with diet behaviors do not recognize accidental harm (p=0.030). Similar profile was found in clinical population. All subjects tended to respond that aggressor deserve punishment, even though action was non intentionally (p=0.04).

Conclusions:
A discussion on the highest difficulty in the Social Cognition in subjects at risk as well as EDs patients will be done. Relevance on prevention, treatment and therapy, if social interactions are taken in accoun, will be highlighted.