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Selective Cocaine‐Related Difficulties in Emotional Intelligence: Relationship to Stress and Impulse Control
Author(s) -
Fox Helen C.,
Bergquist Keri L.,
Casey James,
Hong K. Adam,
Sinha Rajita
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the american journal on addictions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.997
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-0391
pISSN - 1055-0496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2010.00108.x
Subject(s) - impulse control , psychology , emotional intelligence , impulse (physics) , emotional control , developmental psychology , perception , clinical psychology , cognition , cocaine dependence , psychiatry , addiction , neuroscience , physics , quantum mechanics
Emotional Intelligence (EI) comprises the ability to perceive, use, understand, and regulate emotions and may potentially contribute to variability in risk‐related factors such as stress perception and impulse control in cocaine dependent individuals. The main objective of the current study is to better define EI in cocaine dependent individuals compared with healthy controls, using the Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). Secondary analysis investigates the association between EI, IQ factors, perceived stress, and impulse control in both populations. Seventy‐two abstinent treatment‐seeking cocaine patients and 52 healthy controls were administered the MSCEIT as well as measures of IQ, perceived stress, and impulse control. Findings showed that cocaine dependent participants demonstrated highly selective EI difficulties compared with healthy controls, specifically with regard to higher‐level emotional reasoning including the understanding, management, and regulation of emotion. These EI problems were associated with increased perceived stress and impulse control difficulties. IQ was significantly associated with all MSCEIT measures in the cocaine dependent participants, but not controls. Findings indicate that specific aspects of EI may be of clinical importance to cocaine dependent populations, impacting relapse‐related factors such as stress dysregulation and impulse control. (Am J Addict 2010;00: 1–10)