Improving emotion recognition is associated with subsequent mental health and well-being in children with severe behavioural problems

Amy E. Wells,Daniel P. Ash,Laura M. Hunnikin,Stephanie H. M. van Goozen

doi:10.1007/s00787-020-01652-y

Abstract

Impaired emotion recognition is a transdiagnostic risk factor for a range of psychiatric disorders. It has been argued that improving emotion recognition may lead to improvements in behaviour and mental health, but supportive evidence is limited. We assessed emotion recognition and mental health following a brief and targeted computerised emotion recognition training in children referred into an intervention program because of severe family adversity and behavioural problems (n = 62; aged 7–10). While all children continued to receive their usual interventions, only children impaired in emotion recognition (n = 40) received the emotion training. Teachers blind to whether or not children had received the training rated children’s mental health problems before and 6 months after the training. Participants who received the emotion training significantly improved their recognition of negative and neutral facial expressions. Although both groups showed improved behaviour at follow-up, the reduction in behavioural problems was only significant in children who received the emotion training. Post-training emotion recognition scores predicted mental health problems 6 months later independently of initial emotion recognition ability and severity of behavioural problems. The results are consistent with the view that targeting emotion recognition can improve longer term functioning in individuals with disruptive behaviour, although further research using fully randomised designs is needed before causal conclusions can be drawn with confidence.

Highlights

The ability to accurately recognise the emotions of others is crucial for interpersonal interactions and social functioning [18]
The behavioural problems (BP)+ and BP− groups did not differ in age, IQ, gender, or socioeconomic status
Comparing pre-test and post-test scores, participants in the BP+ group showed a significant improvement in the recognition of both negative, t(39) = − 6.581, p < 0.001, d = 1.041, 95% CI [− 21.42, − 11.34], and neutral expressions, t(39) = − 3.230, p = 0.003, d = 0.511, 95% CI [− 5.14, 3.47]

Summary

Introduction

The ability to accurately recognise the emotions of others is crucial for interpersonal interactions and social functioning [18]. Emotion recognition is positively associated with the initiation and maintenance of healthy social relationships [27] and young children who are good at recognizing the emotions of others are more socially skilled and popular with their peers [11]. The degree to which emotion skills develop in childhood has significant implications for children’s later social competence. Difficulties with emotion recognition are well documented in children and adolescents exhibiting a range of mental health, neurodevelopmental and behavioural difficulties. Interventions that successfully target and improve emotion recognition could improve behaviour and social functioning and reduce the likelihood of a range of psychopathology, relieving pressure on statutory services [20]

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Conclusion