[Social cognition in opiate addicts].

INTRODUCTION. Research on the emotional and social disorders associated with drug addiction has been very limited. AIM. To assess different components of social cognition: perception of emotional expressions, emotional-social intelligence, and empathy, in a sample of opiate addicts in a methadone maintenance program (MMP). SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Eighteen opiate addicts MMP and eighteen healthy controls participated. The test of emotional facial expression recognition, the TMMS-24, the EQ-i Bar-On, and Greene moral dilemmas were applied to each subject. RESULTS. The utilitarian response rate in impersonal moral dilemmas was significantly higher in the group of opiate dependents than in the control group. In the general and factorial social-emotional intelligence, opiate dependent group had significantly lower scores than the control group. However, they had worse facial expression recognition, nor worse scores on all three dimensions of emotional intelligence as measured by the TMMS-24. CONCLUSIONS. The opiate addicts not show a generalized deficit of social cognition, however obtain lower emotional-social intelligence quotient, and differ in empathy measured by moral judgments.