Abstract
Emotional intelligence (EI) has been defined as the ability to perceive, understand, use and manage emotions. Studying EI could potentially be useful in understanding addictive behaviors as well as for designing and planning interventions. To conduct a critical review on EI impairment in addiction disorders. MEDLINE/PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane, LILACS, and SciELO databases were searched. Articles that used the standardized Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) instrument to assess EI in people with addictions and healthy controls were selected for the review. We selected seven articles assessing EI and its associations with addiction disorders, mainly alcohol abuse and cocaine dependence. Most studies reported that individuals with addiction disorders had worse EI scores when compared to controls. Overall, the studies reviewed demonstrated that addictions are associated with EI deficits, compared to controls. However, aspects such as the small number of addictive disorders analyzed, methodological issues related to instruments for assessment of IE and the lack of follow-up remain significant limitations.
Highlights
Emotional intelligence (EI) has been defined as the ability to perceive, understand, use and manage emotions
The following search strategy was used for PubMed and similar strategies were used for other databases: ((((“Emotional Intelligences” OR “Intelligence, Emotional” OR “Intelligences, Emotional” OR “Social Intelligence” OR “Intelligence, Social” OR “Intelligences, Social” OR “Social Intelligences”))) AND ((MSCEIT OR “Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test”))) AND
The results of the studies analyzed in this review support the hypothesis that addictions are related to EI deficits, especially when individuals with Substance use disorders (SUD) are compared to healthy controls
Summary
Emotional intelligence (EI) has been defined as the ability to perceive, understand, use and manage emotions. Articles that used the standardized Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) instrument to assess EI in people with addictions and healthy controls were selected for the review. Conclusion: Overall, the studies reviewed demonstrated that addictions are associated with EI deficits, compared to controls. Aspects such as the small number of addictive disorders analyzed, methodological issues related to instruments for assessment of IE and the lack of follow-up remain significant limitations. If EI could be improved by psychosocial interventions, it could be a potential target for interventions.[8,9]
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