Foruzan Razmjooei - ۱. Department of Psychology, Western Tehran Branch, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
Mahdieh Gholizadeh - Department of psychology, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, lran
Tookktam Barati hokmabadi - Department of psychology, Sabzevar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sabzevar,lran
Mehrangiz Pashapour Badr - Department of Psychology, East Azerbaijan Branch, Payame Noor University, Azerbaijan, Iran
Masumeh Javidi - Department of Cognitive sciences, Cognitive psychology, Western Tehran Branch, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

Background: People with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) may experience adverse consequences due to difficulty understanding and interacting with others. Objectives: This study was conducted to compare the theory of mind, emotion recognition, and social cognition in teenagers with GAD and healthy controls. Methods: This case-control study was conducted on ۶۰ patients with GAD and ۶۰ sample of teenagers without GAD in Tehran, during ۲۰۲۲-۲۰۲۳.  The GAD was diagnosed based on DSM-IV_TR criteria. The data collection tools included theory of mind scale (TOM), social cognition questionnaire and Ekman ۶۰-Faces Test (EK-۶۰F). One-way analysis of variance and post hoc test were performed to analyze the data using SPSS version ۲۷ with a two-tailed ۵% level of significance.  Results: The results observed significant differences in the mean values of all variables in four groups of females with and without generalized anxiety disorder, and males with and without generalized anxiety disorder. Comparing the means of study groups, it can be observed that females have higher mean values for their study variables compared to males (P<۰.۰۵). Conclusion:   The findings indicated that teenagers with generalized anxiety disorder were more prone to experiencing difficulties in theory of mind, emotional perception, and social cognition, particularly among females, compared to their counterparts without the disorder.  During adolescence, it is vital to possess the skills of emotional management and the absence of anxiety to establish relationships, nurture meaningful friendships, and actively participate in social interactions.

Theory of Mind, Emotion Recognition, Social Cognition, Generalized Anxiety Disorder