Social cognition in Intermittent Explosive Disorder and aggression

Social-emotional information processing (SEIP) was assessed in individuals with current DSM-5 Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED: n = 100) and in healthy (n = 100) and psychiatric (n = 100) controls using a recently developed and validated self-rated questionnaire. SEIP vignettes depicted both direct aggressive and relationally aggressive scenarios of a socially ambiguous nature and were followed by questions assessing subjects' reactions and judgments about the vignettes. IED subjects differed from both healthy and psychiatric controls in all SEIP components. While hostile attribution was highly related to history of aggression, it was also directly correlated with negative emotional response. Further analysis revealed that this component, as well as response valuation and response efficiency, rather than hostile attribution, best explained history of aggressive behavior. A reformulated SEIP model, including self-reported history of childhood trauma, found that negative emotional response and response efficiency were the critical correlates for history of aggressive behavior. Psychosocial interventions of aggressive behavior in IED subjects may do well to include elements that work to reduce the emotional response to social threat and that work to restructure social cognition so that the tendency towards overt, or relationally, aggressive responding is reduced.     

Effects of an emotional intelligence intervention on aggression and empathy among adolescents

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of a two-year intervention grounded in the ability model of emotional intelligence (EI) on aggression and empathy among adolescents. Eight Spanish public schools volunteered to participate in the research. A total of 590 adolescents (46% boys) were randomly assigned to either the EI training group or control group conditions. Students in the EI training group reported lower levels of physical/verbal aggression, anger, hostility, personal distress and fantasy compared to students in the control group. Additionally, the EI program was particularly effective for males' empathic abilities. These findings confirm the effectiveness of social and emotional learning interventions in Spanish academic contexts and extend the literature of gender-related differences during adolescence. Study limitations and future research directions are also considered.     

Emotional intelligence and social functioning in persons with schizotypy

The present study is the first to examine emotional intelligence in persons with schizotypy. Over 2100 undergraduates were screened for schizotypy with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire - Brief Version. Forty participants identified as persons with high schizotypy and 56 participants identified as persons with low schizotypy completed assessments of emotional intelligence (Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test), social functioning (Social Adjustment Scale - Self Report), verbal episodic (secondary) memory (California Verbal Learning Test), and executive functioning (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). Persons high in schizotypy were impaired in overall emotional intelligence and two aspects of emotional intelligence, the ability to perceive emotions and the ability to manage emotions. Persons high in schizotypy were also impaired in three aspects of social functioning: peer relationships, family relationships, and academic functioning. Group differences in verbal episodic (secondary) memory and executive functioning were not observed. For persons with high schizotypy, overall emotional intelligence and two aspects of emotional intelligence, the ability to perceive emotions and the ability to manage emotions, were associated with peer relationship functioning. Overall emotional intelligence was associated with verbal episodic (secondary) memory, but not executive functioning, in persons with high schizotypy. The current findings suggest that emotional intelligence is impaired in persons with schizotypy and that these impairments affect their social functioning.     

Emotional intelligence and psychological maladjustment in adolescence: A systematic review

The study of emotional intelligence (EI) and its association with psychological maladjustment in adolescence is a new and active area of research. However, the diverse range of EI measurements and aspects of psychological maladjustment examined make it difficult to synthesize the findings and apply them to practice. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to summarize the relationship between EI and adolescents' emotional problems, eating disorder symptoms, addictions, and maladaptive coping. Using English and Spanish keywords, we identified 32 studies that found a negative association between EI and internalizing problems, depression, and anxiety. EI was also associated with less substance abuse and with better coping strategies. These associations differed slightly depending on whether EI was evaluated based on self-reporting or by testing maximum performance. We highlight methodological limitations in the literature on EI and adolescence, and we discuss potentially important areas for future research.     

Emotional intelligence and problem solving skills in individuals who attempted suicide

AimBased on our clinical observations, low emotional intelligence level and problem-solving skills may have play a role in suicide attempts. The present study is aimed to investigate the emotional intelligence levels and the correlation between problem solving skills and suicide attempts in individuals who already attempted suicide.Material and methodThe study was conducted on twenty-five individuals who attempted suicide and 25 healthy controls with similar sociodemographic characteristics. All participants were asked to fill in the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Problem-Solving Inventory (PSI) and Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS).FindingsIt was determined that the patient group BAI scores and BDI scores were significantly higher when compared to the control group (p < 0.01, p < 0.01). The total EIS and emotional awareness, emotion management, self-motivation, empathy and relationship control subscale scores of the patient group were significantly lower when compared to the control group (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p < 0.01, p = 0.047).PSI scores were significantly higher in the patient group when compared to the control group (p < 0.01). There was a negative correlation between PSI total score and EIS subscale scores.ConclusionIt was observed that these individuals experienced more difficulty in solving problems when compared to healthy individuals, however as their emotional intelligence levels increased, their problem-solving skills increased as well.     

精神分裂症患者的攻击行为与甲状腺轴

目的：探索甲状腺激素与精神分裂症患者冲动攻击行为的关系。方法：以既往史和外显攻击行为量表（MOAS）评分区分,有攻击行为者为研究组,无攻击行为者为对照组,比较两组的血清甲状腺激素水平,并对其与精神症状、攻击行为型之间的相关性进行检验。结果：研究组促甲状腺激素（TSH）水平较对照组升高,甲状腺素（T4）水平与言语攻击、对财产的攻击行为有显著性相关,三碘甲状腺原氨酸（T3）水平与焦虑抑郁症状有关。结论：甲状腺激素水平可能与精神分裂症患者的贡献行为有关。     

Inverse relationship between numbers of 5-HT transporter binding sites and life history of aggression and intermittent explosive disorder

The objective of this study was to determine if platelet 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) sites vary as a function of aggression, and/or impulsiveness, and differ as a function of Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). Accordingly, the number of platelet 5-HTT sites was assessed in 100 personality disordered (PD) individuals with varying degrees of aggressiveness. The number of platelet 5-HTT sites was assessed by examining the Bmax of H³-Paroxetine Binding to the blood platelet. Life history of aggression was assessed by Life History of Aggression. Impulsivity was assessed by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Diagnoses of IED were made by both DSM-IV and Research Criteria. Examination of the data revealed that Bmax, but not Kd, values of Platelet H³-Paroxetine Binding correlated inversely with the LHA Aggression score (r = −.42 n = 87, p < .001) but not with the BIS-11 Impulsivity score (r = .03, n = 77, p = .777). PD subjects meeting Research Criteria for IED demonstrated a significant reduction in Bmax values for Platelet H³-Paroxetine Binding. These results were similar after accounting for the effect of lifetime history of depressive mood disorder on Bmax values for Platelet H³-Paroxetine Binding. These data indicate a significant inverse relationship between platelet 5-HTT and aggression, though not impulsivity, as a dimensional variable in personality disordered individuals. Results from the examination of IED as a categorical aggression variable suggest that Research, rather than DSM-IV, criteria better identify individuals with reduced numbers of platelet 5-HTT sites.     

Emotional intelligence correlates with functional responses to dynamic changes in facial trustworthiness

Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to a constellation of traits, competencies, or abilities that allow individuals to understand emotional information and successfully navigate and solve social/emotional problems. While little is known about the neurobiological substrates that underlie EI, some evidence suggests that these capacities may involve a core neurocircuitry involved in emotional decision-making that includes the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula, and amygdala. In a sample of 39 healthy volunteers (22 men; 17 women), scores on the Bar-On EQ-i (a trait/mixed model of EI) and Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT; an ability model of EI) were correlated with functional magnetic resonance imaging responses during brief presentations of moving facial expressions that changed in the level of perceived trustworthiness. Core emotion neurocircuitry was responsive to dynamic changes in facial features, regardless of whether they reflected increases or decreases in apparent trustworthiness. In response to facial movements indicating decreasing trustworthiness, MSCEIT correlated positively with functional responses of the vmPFC and rostral ACC, whereas the EQ-i was unrelated to regional activation. Systematic differences in EI ability appear to be significantly related to the responsiveness of the vmPFC and rostral ACC to facial movements suggesting potential trustworthiness.     

Substance use disorders: Relationship with intermittent explosive disorder and with aggression,anger, and impulsivity

BackgroundA relationship between substance use and aggression has been noted for decades. While substance use appears to be associated with an increased risk of aggressive behavior, no study has yet reported on the pattern of comorbidity and temporal relationship between impulsive aggression (i.e., intermittent explosive disorder) and substance use disorders (SUD), specifically.MethodsTo specify these relationships, we examined DSM-5 diagnosis data from diagnostic interviews of 1355 adults who met one of five non-overlapping diagnostic subgroups: those with intermittent explosive disorder (IED; n = 339), those with SUD (n = 136), IED+SUD (n = 280), adults with psychiatric disorders but no SUD or IED (n = 320), and healthy Controls: HC, n = 282).ResultsOccurrence of lifetime SUD was elevated in IED vs. all Non-IED subjects (Odds Ratio: 3.61 [95% CI: 2.82–4.63]) and onset of IED preceded SUD in 80% of comorbid IED+SUD cases. Examination of the severity of impulsive aggression and SUD revealed that IED increased SUD severity but the presence of SUD did not increase severity of IED core features, including aggression, anger, or impulsivity.ConclusionsSubjects with IED are at increased risk of developing substance use disorder, compared to those without IED. This suggests that history of recurrent, problematic, impulsive aggression is a risk factor for the later development of SUD rather than the reverse. Thus, effective treatment of impulsive aggression, before the onset of substance misuse, may prevent or delay the development of SUD in young individuals.     

攻击性精神分裂症患者智力结构对照研究

本研究采用病例对照方法，以ＷＡＩＳ—ＲＣ对１５０例有攻击行为和１５０例无攻击行为的精神分裂症患者进行研究。结果发现总智商、操作智商、言语智商，及操作智商和言语智商差在两组间无显著差异，而攻击组中知识、算术、数字符号分均明显低于非攻击组，Ｈｅｗｓｏｎ比率异常的分布明显高于非攻击组。因此认为，攻击性精神分裂症患者无智力障碍，其攻击行为与低智商无明显相关，但可能存在一定的神经心理功能障碍。这些也许可作为攻击性精神分裂症患者责任能力评定的理论参考依据     

Emotional intelligence modulates cortisol awakening response and self-reported health in caregivers of people with autism spectrum disorders

Caring for people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has negative consequences for caregivers’ health. Specifically, caregivers of people with ASDs have been observed to have more somatic symptoms, poorer self-perceived general health, poorer social functioning and altered immune and endocrine systems. Various positive variables including emotional intelligence (EI) have been found to protect health in several populations, but no studies have previously analyzed the effect of EI in caregivers of people with ASDs. The present study aimed to analyze the association of the three components of EI (attention, clarity and repair) with self-reported health and cortisol awakening response (CAR) in caregivers of offspring with ASD. Attention was negatively associated and clarity positively associated with self-reported health. Clarity and repair were associated with a lower magnitude of CAR, estimated by the area under the curve with respect to ground (AUC_g). Moreover, CAR AUC_g was a mediator in the association of clarity and repair with self-perceived general health. These results confirm that EI components have different effects on health in caregivers of people with ASDs. EI should be included as a target of interventions to improve health in this population.     

Shifting impairment and aggression in intellectual disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Aggressive behaviour is a major problem in individuals with an intellectual disability (ID) as well as in individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There are indications that suggest a link between cognitive shifting and aggression. In this study, reports of aggressive incidents of adolescents and young adults with different clinical diagnoses (ID, ID + ASD, ASD) were collected during 1 year, using the Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised. Whether they were diagnosed with ID, ASD or both; individuals who displayed aggression were found to face more cognitive shifting difficulties than non-aggressive individuals, while no significant differences were found on severity of ASD symptoms. Study results support the assumption that a cognition-based model for aggression may be more adequate than a diagnose-based model.     

Cognitive and emotional intelligence in young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder without an accompanying intellectual or language disorder

Research in the neurosciences has identified distinctions between neural structures that subserve cognitive intelligence (CI) and those subserving emotional intelligence (EI). This study explored the performance of young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) without an accompanying intellectual or language disorder relative to typically-developing peers, on indices of CI and EI. Both the ASD and age- and sex-matched typically-developing groups exhibited high average cognitive intellectual abilities. In contrast, the ASD group reported lower levels of EI relative to their typically-developing peers, as expected given the social and emotional challenges faced by individuals with ASD. Importantly, cognitive intelligence did not correlate with EI in either group. Taken together, these findings further support the theory of dissociable neural systems underlying CI and EI. These findings also highlight the need to address not only the intellectual aspects of cognition, but also the emotional components to increase understanding of, and improve treatment for individuals on the autism spectrum. This understanding would enhance our ability to assess and support young adults with ASD, and ultimately ease their transition into adulthood.     

Training emotional intelligence improves both emotional intelligence and depressive symptoms in inpatients with borderline personality disorder and depression

Abstract

Objective. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is defined as a pervasive pattern of instability in emotion, mood and interpersonal relationships, with a comorbidity between PBD and depressive disorders (DD). A key competence for successful management of interpersonal relationships is emotional intelligence (EI). Given the low EI of patients suffering from BPD, the present study aimed at investigating the effect on both emotional intelligence and depression of training emotional intelligence in patients with BPD and DD. Methods. A total of 30 inpatients with BPD and DD (53% females; mean age 24.20 years) took part in the study. Patients were randomly assigned either to the treatment or to the control group. Pre- and post-testing 4 weeks later involved experts’ rating of depressive disorder and self-reported EI. The treatment group received 12 sessions of training in components of emotional intelligence. Results. Relative to the control group, EI increased significantly in the treatment group over time. Depressive symptoms decreased significantly over time in both groups, though improvement was greater in the treatment than the control group. Conclusion. For inpatients suffering from BPD and DD, regular skill training in EI can be successfully implemented and leads to improvements both in EI and depression. Results suggest an additive effect of EI training on both EI and depressive symptoms.     

Emotional intelligence,emotions, and feelings of support staff working with clients with intellectual disabilities and challenging behavior: An exploratory study

Working with clients who show challenging behavior can be emotionally demanding and stressful for support staff, because this behavior may cause a range of negative emotional reactions and feelings. These reactions are of negative influence on staff wellbeing and behavior. Research has focused on negative emotions of staff. However, a distinction between emotions and feelings has never been made in the research field of intellectual disabilities. Negative emotions and feelings may be regulated by emotional intelligence, a psychological construct that takes into account personal style and individual differences. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence on the one hand and emotions and feelings on the other. Participants were 207 support staff serving clients with moderate to borderline intellectual disabilities and challenging behavior. Emotional intelligence, emotions, and feelings were measured with questionnaires. The results show that emotional intelligence, emotions, and feelings are related. However, found relationships were weak. Most significant relations were found between feelings and stress management and adaptation elements of emotional intelligence. Because the explored variables can change over time they call for a longitudinal research approach.     

Direct and indirect relationships between emotional intelligence and subjective fatigue in university students

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the direct and indirect relationships between emotional intelligence and subjective fatigue. METHODS: One hundred sixty seven university students completed questionnaires assessing subjective fatigue, emotional intelligence, and a range of other psychosocial factors. A series of regression analyses were used to examine the direct and indirect relationships between subjective fatigue and psychosocial factors. RESULTS: Higher emotional intelligence was associated with less fatigue. The psychosocial variables depression, anxiety, optimism, internal health locus of control, amount of social support, and satisfaction with social support each partially mediated between emotional intelligence and fatigue. Additionally, sleep quality partially mediated between emotional intelligence and fatigue. CONCLUSION: These findings regarding the association between subjective fatigue, emotional intelligence, and other psychosocial factors may facilitate an understanding of the aetiology of fatigue and contribute to future research examining interventions aimed at helping individuals cope with fatigue.     

Morphometric analysis of amygdla and hippocampus shape in impulsively aggressive and healthy control subjects

BackgroundImpulsive aggressive behavior is thought to be facilitated by activation of the limbic brain, particularly the amygdala and hippocampus., Functional imaging studies suggest abnormalities in limbic brain activity during emotional information processing in impulsively aggressive subjects with Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). It is not known if IED is associated with altered amygdala and hippocampus volume and shape.MethodsWe examined the volume and shape of the amygdala–hippocampal complex, using morphometric analysis of high resolution structural 3T MR scans in healthy control (HC: n = 73) subjects without history of Axis I or II psychiatric conditions and in subjects with IED (n = 67).ResultsWhile no volume differences were observed between HC and IED subjects, a significant level of morphometric deformation, suggestive of cell loss, in both amygdala and hippocampal structures was observed bilaterally in IED subjects. Analysis of a canonical variable that used the first 10 eigenvectors from both sides of the brain revealed that these morphometric deformations in the IED subjects were not due the presence of confounding variables or to comorbidities among IED subjects.ConclusionsThese data reveal that IED is associated with a significant loss of neurons in both the amygdala and hippocampus. These changes may play a role in the functional abnormalities observed in previous fMRI studies and in the pathophysiology of impulsive aggressive behavior.     

Prospective associations between loneliness and emotional intelligence

Loneliness has been linked cross-sectionally to emotional skill deficits (e.g., Zysberg, 2012), but missing from the literature is a longitudinal examination of these relationships. The present study fills that gap by examining the prospective relationships between loneliness and emotional functioning in young adolescents in England. One hundred and ninety-six adolescents aged 11–13 years (90 females) took part in the study and completed the youth version of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT-YV) and the peer-related subscale of the Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LACA) at two time points, which were 10 months apart. Prospective associations were obtained for male and female adolescents separately using cross-lagged statistical techniques. Our results showed prospective links between understanding and managing emotions and loneliness for both females and males. Perceiving and using emotions were prospectively linked to loneliness in males only. Possible explanations and directions for future research are discussed.     

A comparison of emotional and cognitive intelligence in people with and without temporal lobe epilepsy

Medial temporal lobe structures have been hypothesized to be important in emotional intelligence (EI) and social cognition. There is some evidence associating temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) with impairments in social cognition. This study aimed to establish whether TLE is also associated with deficits in EI. Sixteen patients with TLE and 14 controls without epilepsy matched for age and current intelligence quotient were compared on measures of EI, recognition of facial expressions of emotion, and distress. Results indicated that patients with TLE showed both impaired EI and impaired recognition of facial expressions. They also reported greater psychological distress, which correlated negatively with EI. It is suggested that some of the psychosocial problems experienced by patients with TLE can be conceptualized as the consequences of deficits in EI, possibly resulting from epilepsy-related disruption to medial temporal lobe functioning.     

护理人员情绪智力特征对职业倦怠的影响

目的研究护理人员情绪智力与职业倦怠之间的关系。方法采用工作倦怠问卷（MBI）和情绪智力量表（EIS）对442名护士进行问卷调查,回收有效问卷393份。结果护理人员情绪智力总分为（62．01±13．72）分,其各维度得分均处于中等偏上水平。不同护龄的护理人员在职业倦怠的情绪枯竭和个人成就感维度上的差异具有统计学意义。职业倦怠与情绪智力之间存在相关性,其中情绪枯竭和去人格化倾向维度与情绪智力各维度均呈负相关（P〈0．05）,个人成就感维度与情绪智力各维度呈正相关（P〈0．01）;情绪智力对职业倦怠有一定的负向预测作用。结论提高护理人员情绪智力可以在一定程度上降低其职业倦怠水平。