| 1. Introduction PTSD is associated with disturbances in social cognition, e.g., feelings of detachment or estrangement from others. One model that captures aspects of social interaction is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence has been defined as the “ability to carry out accurate reasoning focused on emotions and the ability to use emotions and emotional knowledge to enhance thought.”(Mayer et al., 2008). Following this definition of emotional intelligence, it affects many aspects of social functioning and, thus, can be considered an aspect of social cognition. Social cognition is referred to as the sum of processes that allow individuals to interact with each other, consciously or unconsciously perceiving, interpreting and processing social information (Adolphs, 1999). Constructs that capture the essence of social cognition include empathy, theory of mind (Roepke et al., 2012) and emotional intelligence (Varo et al., 2017). It is widely accepted that empathy consists of at least two components, a cognitive and an emotional component. The cognitive component, referred to as cognitive empathy, means the ability to represent the mental states of others, which is also referred to as perspective taking, mentalizing or theory of mind. The emotional component, referred to as emotional empathy, is conceptualized as the emotional response to another person`s affective state (Blair, 2005). Though social cognition and subsequently emotional intelligence appear to be highly relevant theoretical constructs to understand PTSD, until now, it is an underexplored area. Research shows that the development of PTSD is mediated by interpersonal and social factors (Brewin et al., 2000; DePrince, 2005; Sharp et al., 2012; Venta et al., 2017). Many studies that aimed to identify predisposition factors for developing PTSD after experiencing traumatic events found numerous interpersonal factors (Koenen et al., 2007; Ozer et al., 2003). Moreover, low levels of perceived social support seem to be associated with the severity of PTSD symptoms (Hofman et al., 2016; Jankowski et al., 2004). According to a review about interpersonal constructs and their association with PTSD, social support, social acknowledgement and quality of intimate relationships are crucial factors for trauma processing und recovery (Nietlisbach and Maercker, 2009). Sharp et al. (2012) suggested “social cognition as a key factor that relates a certain level of traumatic stress to the syndrome of PTSD” (p. 235). There are studies that have investigated the hypothesis of impaired social cognition and associated concepts as empathy in PTSD. One study found lower empathic resonance and higher personal distress but no clear indication of other impaired social cognitive functions (Nietlisbach et al., 2010). |