Deficits in mindreading in stressful contexts and their relationships to social withdrawal in schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia are commonly observed to socially withdraw and also to have difficulty forming representations of what other people feel, think, and intend. Yet it is unclear whether these two dysfunctions are related to one another. To address this issue, the authors offer two case analyses and hypothesize that difficulties knowing the thoughts and feelings of others are correlated with unpleasant emotional arousal, are more intense during certain interpersonal interactions, and can generate social withdrawal.