Social Cognition in Adolescents with Substance Use Disorder: A Controlled Trial
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https://doi.org/10.58600/eurjther2791Keywords:
child and adolescent, social cognition, substance use disorder, theory of mindAbstract
Objective: Given that Theory of Mind is a fundamental component of social cognition, impairments in this domain may contribute to interpersonal difficulties, impaired social functioning, and poor treatment adherence commonly observed in substance use disorder populations. The number of studies examining social cognitive functioning in children and adolescents with substance use disorder is insufficient in the literature. This study aims to compare the social cognitive functions of adolescents with substance use disorder to those of healthy controls.
Methods: A total of 47 patients aged between 12 and 18 years who were diagnosed with substance use disorder according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders-5 criteria, and 45 healthy controls were included in the study. Sociodemographic data of the participants were collected, and the Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (K-SADS) was administered to assess comorbid psychiatric diagnoses. Theory of mind tests were applied to both groups to assess emotion recognition and mentalizing abilities.
Results: The substance use disorder group had significantly higher rates of living in fragmented families and school dropout, and their fathers’ educational level was significantly lower compared to controls. The prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses, particularly current depressive disorders and Attention deficits / Hyperactivity Disorder identified via K-SADS, was significantly higher in the substance use disorder. The social cognition test results showed that performance on theory of mind tests was significantly lower in the substance-using group compared to the control group.
Conclusion: In this study, the findings related to social cognitive impairments, comorbid
psychiatric conditions, family structure, and the level of mother/father education with SUD in adolescence may guide assessment, prevention, and intervention efforts in this field.
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