Theory of mind - not emotion recognition - mediates the relationship between executive functions and social functioning in patients with schizophrenia.

Background: Dysfunction of social-cognitive abilities is one of the hallmark features of schizophrenia and is associated with neurocognition and social functioning. The Green and Nuechterlein model proposed that social cognition mediates the relationship between neurocognition and functional outcome. We tested this hypothesis in schizophrenia patients in the everyday clinical setting.