title: Emotional intelligence components in alcohol dependent and mentally healthy individuals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Emotional intelligence might play an important role in the onset and persistence of different psychopathologies. This study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and alcohol dependence.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this case-control study, participants included alcohol dependent individuals and mentally healthy inpatients. Each group consisted of 40 individuals (male/female: 1). The diagnosis was based on the criteria of the DSM-IV-TR using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV). All the participants completed Bar-On emotional intelligence test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  20 males and 20 females were included in each group. Mean age of alcohol dependent participants and controls was 31.28±7.82 and 34.93±9.83 years in that order. The analyses showed that the alcohol dependent individuals had a significant difference compared with the control group and received lower scores in empathy, responsibility, impulse control, self-esteem, optimism, emotional consciousness, stress tolerance, autonomy, problem-solving, and total score of emotional intelligence components.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with alcohol dependence have deficits in components of emotional intelligence. Identifying and targeted training of the individuals with lower scores in components of emotional intelligence may be effective in prevention of alcohol dependence.
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (RCPBS), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51677, Iran.
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohagheghi
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (RCPBS), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51677, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahrokh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amiri
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (RCPBS), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51677, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyedreza
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mousavi Rizi
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (RCPBS), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51677, Iran.
authors.forename: Salman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Safikhanlou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003710:Demography; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health