Abstract

ARANGO DE MONTIS, Iván et al. Evaluation of the capacity to recognize the facial expression of emotions in psychiatry residents throughout three years of training. Salud Ment [online]. 2014, vol.37, n.6, pp.455-460. ISSN 0185-3325.

Facial emotion recognition in mental health professionals may be influenced by their psychological state of mind and attachment experiences. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between current psychological symptoms and attachment styles, and the ability of psychiatry residents to correctly identify the facial expressions of emotions throughout their three-year period of psychiatry training. Sixteen psychiatry residents were recruited in a highly specialized mental health center. In order to evaluate the subjects' psychiatric symptoms, the Checklist (SCL-90) and Attachment Styles Questionnaire (ASQ). Likewise, were used to examine the ability to recognize facial expressions of emotion, we chose the Picture of Facial Affect (POFA). During the psychiatric residency, the severity of psychiatric symptoms was minimal in all participants. Fear was the least-well recognized emotion, both initially and in the third year of residency, while neutral emotion was recognized best at both times. Significant changes in time were observed in the recognition of sadness and disgust. No significant associations were found between attachment styles and the changes in time observed in depressive and anxiety symptoms in psychiatry residents.

Keywords : Emotion; nonverbal behavior; psychiatry training; human ethology.