Abstract:

Background: Most of the family factors that are thought to determine the course of the disease are examined with in the concept of Emotion Expression. The concept of theory of mind is the ability to understand and predict other people's emotions, intentions and mentally represent them. In this study, it is aimed to determine the emo-tion expressions and mind theory functions of first degree relatives of bipolar disorders patient relatives and to investigate their relations with each other. Materials and Methods: The study included 95 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder according to DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) diagnostic criteria and the same number of relatives. Soci-odemographic and clinical data form was used to evaluate patients with bipolar disorder and their relatives. To assess the theory of mind skills of the patients' relatives, mind reading test and emotional expression scale were used. Short Functioning Assessment Scale was used to evaluate the functionality of the patients. Results: The study included 95 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder type-1 according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. 55 (57.9%) of the participants were female and 40 (42.1%) were male. 30 (31.6%) were single, 63 (66.3%) were married and 2 (2.1%) were divorced. A negative correlation was found between the mental reading test scores of the patient's relatives and the emotional expression scale scores (r: -0,621, p<0,001). A negative corre-lation was found between the eyes test scores of the relatives of the patients and the short functionality assess-ment scale scores of the patients (r:-0,618, p:<0,001). A significant positive correlation was determined between the emotional expression scale scores of the relatives of the patients and the the short functionality assessment scale scores of the patients (r: 0,630, p:<0,001). Conclusions: As a result of the study, it was determined that the beter the theory of mind skills of the relatives of the patients, the lower the emotional expressions to the patient, the worse the patient's relatives theory of mind skills determined by eyes test, the higher the emotional expression to the patient. Key Words: Bipolar disorder, Emotion expression, Mind theory