Improving social cognition in individuals with substance use disorders through the E-motional training program: A...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Substance Use Disorders (SUD) are frequently associated with social cognition (SC) deficits.
• Limited interventions exist to address SC impairments in individuals with SUD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of E-Motional Training (ET®), an online self-training program, for improving SC in individuals with SUD.
• To assess changes in emotion recognition and Theory of Mind.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 47 outpatients diagnosed with SUD.
• The experimental group (n=25) received 12 ET® sessions over 3 months; the control group (n=22) received treatment as usual.
• Emotion recognition and Theory of Mind were assessed as primary outcomes.

Main Results:

• Significant group × time interactions were observed for total emotion recognition (p=.038) and fear recognition (p=.047).
• Post hoc analyses indicated significant between-group differences favoring the ET® group in these measures after treatment.
• The ET® group showed significant pre-post improvements in total emotion recognition.

Conclusions:

• The E-Motional Training (ET®) intervention shows promise for enhancing emotion recognition abilities in individuals with SUD.
• This pilot study suggests ET® as a potential therapeutic tool for addressing SC deficits in this population.