Iris Publishers- Open Access Journal of Addiction and Psychology| Does Emotional Intelligence Impact an Adolescent Recovery Program?

Authored by BJ Fratzke

 

Adolescents in a substance recovery high school treatment program were found to relapse after returning to regular high school at a rate of 80%. This study looked for factors that may be related to this relapse such as emotional intelligence (EI), attachment, relationship skill, and parental factors including the degree of parental protectiveness and parental spirituality. Results indicated that emotional intelligence is significantly related to an adolescent’s ability to develop a healthy positive internal self and may indicate that students who were less able to use emotions to impact their thinking were unable to harness their emotions for problem-solving as shown by increase in relapse rates. Discussion suggests that the addition of training in EI during the treatment program may therefore help reduce relapse rates.Myriads of treatment programs for adolescents exist using a variety of modalities for recovery. Although outcomes vary, several commonalities have been found in adolescent substance abuse populations. Attachment issues, social and emotional skill deficits, negative perceptions of others, and poor interpersonal relationships are all typical issues that must be addressed for successful recovery. Prior research has suggested that anxiously attached adolescents tend to over-report problems and their preoccupation may be a hyperactivation of the attachment system in the teen version of a cry of distress [1]. They may be over-reporting symptoms but their parents tend to ignore or disbelieve them which often lead to externalizing behavioral symptoms (drugs, sexual activity, illegal activities…). Teens who internalize problems are more prone to depression and suicidal ideation and have more passive and enmeshed mothers [2]. The dismissive/avoidantly attached adolescents tend to have poor communication skills, are easily led by peers, do not seek emotional support and have higher risk of substance abuse and conduct disorders.

 

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