Question

Clients who enter residential treatment for substance abuse demonstrate difficulties correctly identifying emotions in themselves and others, regulating emotions, and using positive coping skills to deal with their emotions. The purpose of the study is to quantify the level of emotional understanding as well as other skills related to emotional intelligence among substance abusers. Do substance abusers have a different level of emotional understanding than the general population? The researchers used a convenience sampling method to obtain a sample of 40 substance abusers who have just entered residential treatment. The participants completed the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) to measure their emotional intelligence. Note, the ability based model of emotional intelligence measures four branches: 1) the ability to identify emotions in facial expressions, 2) the ability to use emotional information to facilitate thoughts, 3) the ability to understand emotions, and 4) the ability to regulate emotions in the self and others. This assessment was selected to provide information on emotional understanding and other abilities under the umbrella of emotional intelligence. The mean score on the MSCEIT for the population is 100. The null hypothesis states there will be no difference between the scores on the MSCEIT for substance abusers when compared to the general population. A single sample t-test was used to analyze the data.

Answer 1

Statement Of Problem: Client when enter residential treatment for substance abuse they demonstrate emotional difficulties in them. Objective Of Study: To quatify the level of emotional understanding as well as other skills related to emotional intelligence among substance abusers. To study whether substance abusers have different level of emotional understanding than general population.

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference between the scores on the MSCEIT for substance abusers when compared to the general population. From the study it is being found that by applying mean score 100 and and with t- test the findings are given below: Firstly, the majority of study that has been research on this aspect of emotions they have focussed on emotional reaction of cravings on its potential neurophysiological correlation. It is generally accepted that substance abuse withdrawal are associated with wide range of positive and negative psychophysiological effects and they show low tolerance to unpleasant physical symptoms and negative emotions. Secondly: the negative emotional reaction leads to inability to resist temptations or impulses to drink, to test their personal control and face interpersonal conflicts. So they have lack of perceptual representation and emotional regulation. Thirdly, the substance abuse residential client generally hsve low emotional intelligence so they displaydeviant behaviour without rational judgement and decision. They crave for the deintoxication substance to deal with the emotional imbalnce. Fourthly, when MSCIET when applied to study the differential effects of drug abuser and general population it is being found that there are many linkages between emotional intelligence to deviant behaviour and health problems such as depression, general well being and social competence, peer relationship. Researcher have found an inverse realtinship between EI and substance abuse. Fourthly, it is being found that their is significant difference between these two population which indicates that additional research regarding relationship between emotional intelligence and substance abuse is much needed. Findings reveals that there is strong co-relation between substance abuse with low level of EI.