Emotional intelligence in a group of children with ADHD-Institute of Psychiatry Ain Shams University

Abstract

InthepasttwodecadesAttentionDeficitHyperkineticDisorderbecameoneofthemostrecognizeddisorders.Attention-deficithyperactivitydisorder(ADHD)isadisorderofinattention,impulsivity,andhyperactivity, these symptoms greatly impair cognitive, academic, behavioural, emotional and social functioning(American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

InADHD;theinabilitytoinhibitresponsesisassociatedwithincreasedemotionalreactivity,lowerfrustrationtolerance,decreasedempathyandadiminishedabilitytoselfregulateemotionsthusithasbeenhypothesizedthatemotionalintelligenceisaffectedinADHD.(Friedman et al., 2003).

Emotionalintelligenceisatermusedtodescribetheabilityofanindividualtorecognizetheirownandotherpeople'semotions,todiscriminatebetweendifferentfeelingsandlabelthemappropriately,andtouseemotionalinformationtoguidethinkingandbehavior.(Coleman & Andrew 2008).

Thereareseveralmodelsofemotionalintelligence;thetraitmodelisoneofthose, it wasdevelopedbyKonstantinVasilyPetridesin2001.It"encompassesbehavioraldispositionsandselfperceivedabilitiesandismeasuredthroughselfreport". ChildrenwithADHDaretheorizedtohaveimpairedexecutivefunctioning,whichlinkspotentiallywithbothTEIandimpairmentofitcanleadtosomeofthesymptomatologyseeninADHD. TillrecentlyveryfewinvestigationsofTEIhasbeencarriedoutinanADHDpopulation,althoughithasstrongimplicationsinchildhood,thatthestudycanpotentiallyshedsomelightonthesocialdifficultiesshownbymanychildrenwithADHD.

Inlightofthis evidence, the research team was motivatedtoinvestigatetheTEIinasampleofEgyptianchildrenwithADHD compared to a sample of socio-demographic and IQ matched control children andtostudyitscorrelationwithsymptoms profile and subtypes of ADHD.