ABSTRACT
Parental substance abuse is associated with impaired skills and ability to take care of children. Children of substance-abusing parents display higher levels of emotional difficulties. This article shows the effectiveness of emotional intelligence group training on anger in adolescents with substance-abusing fathers. The sample consisted of 60 high school boys with substance-abusing fathers, selected from referrals to public academic counseling centers in the city of Bojnurd in northeastern Iran. Next, the individuals were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group received eight weekly one-and-a-half-hour emotional intelligence group training sessions in a school setting. The two groups were compared before and after the intervention using the Spielberger's State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory. In the experimental group, mean score of state anger decreased from 29.8 ± 4.2 to 15.6 ± 0.8 in pretest to posttest. Results of RMANOVA showed that training was effective in all four areas of Trait Anger, State Anger, Anger Control-In, and Anger Control-Out (p < 0.05). This study indicated that training of emotional intelligence skills was effective in reducing anger in adolescents with substance-abusing fathers.