Social Cognition in Adult ADHD: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The aim of this systematic review was to collect and align the research on social cognition impairments in adults with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In particular, we selected and analyzed papers on emotion recognition and processing, Theory of Mind (TOM), empathy, and other facets of social cognition as decision making. We identified 16 papers published between 2012 and 2022 which meet inclusion criteria. Papers search, selection, and extraction followed the PRISMA guidelines. In order to summarize data from papers, we used a narrative synthesis approach. Results show different evidence of impairment in social cognition domains in adults with ADHD. Our systematic review suggests the importance of promoting more research on this topic because it is essential to keep in mind that social cognition plays a central role in socialization and social relationships.

Supraphysiological testosterone levels from anabolic steroid use and reduced sensitivity to negative facial expressions in men

“…We did not identify any statistically significant differences in age of initiation or accumulated years of use between the On/Off groups in the current study, therefore these characteristics are unlikely to explain the group differences. It is possible that our findings can be partially explained by psychiatric variables not taken into account but associated with both AAS use and social cognitive deficits, such as personality disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms (Daros et al 2013 ; Kildal et al 2022 ; Marissen et al 2012 ; Morellini et al 2022 ). Alternatively, male athletes have reported feeling invincible and superior to others while taking AAS, which may be a cause or consequence of decreased empathic behavior (Vassallo and Olrich 2010 ).…”

Construction of Meta-Thinking Educational Program Based on Mental-Brain Simulation (MTMBS) and Evaluating its Effectiveness on Executive Functions, Emotion Regulation, and Impulsivity in Children With ADHD: A Resting-State Functional MRI Study

“…Findings of Landis et al (2021) show that fundamental deficits in executive function and emotion regulation are differentially related to symptoms of ADHD. In addition, various evidences show that people with ADHD suffer from severe problems in the areas of social cognition, while social cognition plays a major role in people’s socialization and social relationships (Morellini et al, 2022). Also, the results of Carroll et al (2023) research show that cognitive group therapy based on acceptance and regulation skills can be an efficient and effective treatment for people with ADHD in order to experience emotional regulation problems and self-improvement.…”

Emotion recognition and processing in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review

“…In the end, 15 articles were included in our review. Despite the age range (2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016)(2017)(2018)(2019)(2020)(2021)(2022), we found only eligible articles until 2020 (Figure 1).…”

“…Emotion recognition and processing are considered the first abilities to establish social interactions (that go through three processes: social perception, social understanding, and social decision-making) ( Morese and Palermo, 2020 , 2022 ). Social perception is a fundamental skill of social cognition because the analysis of facial expressions, gestures, posture, language, and voice allows us to recognize others as “living people” ( Arioli et al, 2018 ; Morellini et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Based on the past research on social cognition in neurodegenerative disorders ( Morese and Palermo, 2020 ; Palermo et al, 2020 ; Morellini et al, 2022 ), we could expect that emotion recognition and processing might be impaired in the MCI population.…”