Empathy, Substance Use
Conditions
Keywords
substance use, empathy
Brief summary
This study aims to assess changes in empathy levels before and after residential treatment among individuals with substance use disorders.
Detailed description
Despite the lack of a consensus on the conceptualization of empathy among researchers and practitioners, psychologists generally agree that empathy and valuable interpersonal relations are contingent upon the willingness to understand another's perspective as well as share feelings and experiences. Adults with a variety of substance use disorders (SUDs) experience impairments in various facets of empathetic processing compared to healthy controls. Impairments in empathy could lead to a weak therapeutic alliance, lower adherence to treatment, and higher relapse rate. Furthermore, the therapeutic relationship has been described as one of the strongest predictors of treatment drop-out for patients with SUDs. In addition, an impaired ability to relate to and understand the affective and mental state of others may contribute to key typologies of patients with SUDs including, impulsivity, aggression, and antisocial behavior. Review of literature emphasizes a need for research into an understudied, yet modifiable factor of empathy in the trajectory of SUDs. Particularly, identifying specific psychotherapeutic techniques capable of improving the expression of empathy in these patients. Given the importance of empathetic ability in optimal social functioning, understanding whether empathetic impairments improve with treatment is important to achieve the best treatment outcomes for individuals struggling with SUDs.This study will help improve the knowledge and understanding of how substance use treatment affects empathy, as measured by gains in empathetic ability in treatment seeking individuals. To date, there are no reported studies that examined the impact of residential SU treatment on empathy. The study will be an observational quasi-experimental design that utilizes a pre-test and post-test to examine change in empathy for recently detoxed substance use patients and a follow-up assessment to monitor long term outcomes. The results of this study will further our understanding of treatment's potential role in cultivating a fundamental interpersonal skill, empathy.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALTreatment as Usual
Individuals will receive residential level of care followed by treatment at their partial hospitalization program.
Sponsors
Nova Southeastern University
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Meet criteria for a substance Use Disorder, receiving treatment at Recovery Unplugged Addiction Treatment Center, at least 18 years of age.
Exclusion criteria
* Neurological disorder, severe cognitive impairment, comorbid thought disorder such as schizophrenia, failure to complete detox period,
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| empathy | pre to post treatment and 2 month post treatment follow-up (4 months total) | The Empathy Quotient-Short (EQ-Short) is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess individual differences in empathy. It is used to measure levels of empathy, including affective, cognitive, and total empathy. The unit of measure for the outcome is the total empathy score derived from responses to 22 items, with each item rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 ("I strongly disagree") to 4 ("I strongly agree"). Possible range 0-44, Higher scores indicate greater empathy. For example, one of the items asks, "I can pick up quickly if someone says one thing but means another." This scale is designed to assess various facets of empathy, including the ability to recognize emotions in others (cognitive empathy) and the ability to share or respond to those emotions (affective empathy). Previous multivariate analyses suggest that the Empathy Quotient-Short is a reliable and adequate tool for assessing individual differences in empathizing. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| differences in empathy gains by sex | pre and post treatment, 2 month post treatment follow-up (4 months total) | A secondary outcome of this study is to assess differences in empathy gains between men and women. Specifically, the study will examine how levels of empathy change over time as a function of sex. Empathy will be measured using the Empathy Quotient-Short (EQ-Short), which evaluates affective, cognitive, and total empathy. The unit of measure for this outcome is the change in total empathy scores before and after the intervention, with the empathy score calculated based on participants' responses to 22 items on a 4-point Likert scale. The analysis will focus on comparing the magnitude of empathy changes between male and female participants to identify potential differences in the extent to which empathy increases for each sex. This will provide insight into whether the intervention leads to varying levels of empathy development based on sex. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed