Browsing by Subject "conduct disorder"

Goals. Traditional research argues that the main mechanism underlying children’s callous-unemotional (CU) traits is impaired affective empathy. However, recent research suggests that the core characteristic among children with CU traits may be, instead, impaired cognitive empathy. As understanding the underlying mechanisms of CU traits is essential in implementing effective interventions, these findings provide a new important viewpoint to the study of CU traits in general and to the development of effective interventions. Drawing on this, this thesis discusses whether cognitive empathy can be learned and when and how to intervene most effectively. Methods. Literature search was conducted via PubMed, Ovid Medline and Google Scholar by using search words such as “callous-unemotional”, “CU traits”, “cognitive empathy”, “emotion recognition”, “parenting intervention”, “emotion recognition intervention” and “preventive interventions”. Results and conclusions. General view in literature regarding the relationship between empathy deficits and CU traits is still inconsistent: there are studies suggesting both cognitive and affective empathy deficits as the core characteristic of CU traits. Interpreting findings of studies assessing intervention effectiveness is challenging, partly because these studies rarely measure intervention effectiveness directly on empathy, and, even more rarely, on cognitive empathy. Thus, as some findings are promising in the context of, for example, prosocial behavior and conduct disorder, making further conclusions about their effectiveness on cognitive empathy needs to be made with caution. Broad range of definitions used of cognitive empathy and various assessment methods used to measure empathy increase the complexity of the issue further. The importance and effectiveness of early identification and intervening is, however, broadly acknowledged. As empathy, CU traits and problematic behavior are extremely complex constructs, it is reasonable to consider whether it is effective, or even possible, to intervene cognitive empathy as such, or whether interventions focusing on underlying endophenotypes, such as environmental factors, would prove to be more effective. What is clear is that more research around this complex, yet critically important, theme is needed.