Emotional Contagion and Emotional Mimicry in Individuals with Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review.

Background: Individuals with schizophrenia often exhibit social interaction deficits, which can affect their ability to engage effectively with others. Emotional processes, such as emotional contagion (the transfer of emotion between individuals) and emotional mimicry (the imitation of emotional expressions), are crucial for enhancing the quality of social interactions. Methods: We conducted a PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycInfo database search. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were established based on the definitions of emotional contagion and emotional mimicry, rather than relying on specific terminology from various research fields. Forty-two studies were included in the review, including six emotional mimicry studies and thirty-six emotional contagion studies. Results: The current findings suggest decreased or inappropriate emotional mimicry in individuals with schizophrenia. Relating to emotional contagion, the results showed altered brain and psychophysiological activity in individuals with schizophrenia, whereas the self-reported measures indicated no difference between the groups. The relationships between emotional contagion, emotional mimicry, and psychotic symptom severity showed variability across the studies, whereas no associations between antipsychotic dosage and either emotional mimicry or emotional contagion were found. Discussion: This review highlights the need to further evaluate and train emotional contagion and emotional mimicry in individuals with schizophrenia because these processess influence social interaction quality. Clinical implications and guidelines for future studies are discussed.