Examining optimism and flourishing as protective factors of suicidality across the adult lifespan: A cross-sectional investigation in three Spanish age groups.

We examined optimism and flourishing as unique protective predictors of suicidality (viz., suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors) in a cross-sectional study of young adults (18-35 years), middle-aged adults (36-55 years), and older adults (≥56 years). Young adults were found to have higher levels of suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors compared to middle-aged and older adults. Controlling for depressive symptoms, the results of conducting regression analyses consistently implicated flourishing as a distinct predictor of lower suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors in young adults and middle-aged adults. However, for older adults, only optimism was found to be a unique predictor of lower suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors. Implications of the present findings for understanding the differential role of optimism and flourishing in accounting for suicidality across the adult lifespan are discussed.

Knowing is half the battle: Regulating and appraising emotions co-protect from suicidal ideation.

College students, particularly those in healthcare fields, face an elevated risk of suicidal ideation and depression. Therefore, it is essential to explore how both actual and perceived emotional resources may play a role in suicide prevention within this age group. This study examined (1) whether actual self-focused emotion-regulation ability diminishes suicidal ideation through a decrease in depressive symptoms, and (2) whether perceived self-emotion appraisal moderates this relationship. In 312 healthcare students (209 women) actual self-focused emotion-regulation ability was negatively related to suicidal ideation through depressive symptoms. Furthermore, perceived self-emotion appraisal buffered the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Findings suggest that perceived self-emotion appraisal may reinforce the adaptiveness of actual self-focused emotion-regulation ability as a protective factor for psychological maladjustment. The results indicate the collaborative ability to regulate one's emotions coupled with the self-perception of emotion appraisal could effectively alleviate the potential progression of emotional difficulties among healthcare students.

Emotional Intelligence, Mental Health, and Job Search Behaviors during Unemployment: The Mediating Role of Resilient Coping / La inteligencia emocional, la salud mental y la búsqueda de empleo en desempleados: el papel mediador del afrontamiento resiliente

The scientific literature has shown interest in identifying psychological strengths that predict mental health and job search behaviors in the unemployed population. Emotional intelligence (EI) and resilience are key psychological resources, although there is a lack of understanding of underlying mechanisms involved during unemployment. In this study we aimed to examine whether resilient coping serves as a mediator between EI and depressive symptoms, happiness, and job search behaviors in unemployed. To prove whether resilient coping mediates this link, we recruited 401 unemployed through LinkedIn and asked them to complete self-report questionnaires. Correlational results showed significant relationships in the expected way. The results of the mediation analyses showed that resilient coping mediated the link between EI and job search behaviors, happiness, and depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that career counseling units should incorporate EI and resilience modules into their employability programs to promote the mental health and employability of the unemployed.(AU)

La literatura científica ha mostrado interés por identificar los recursos psicológicos que predicen la salud mental y los comportamientos de búsqueda de empleo en la población desempleada. La inteligencia emocional (IE) y la resiliencia son recursos psicológicos fundamentales, aunque existe una falta de comprensión de los mecanismos subyacentes en el desempleo. El objetivo del estudio ha sido examinar si el afrontamiento resiliente sirve como mediador entre la IE y los síntomas depresivos, la felicidad y la búsqueda de empleo en desempleados. Para probar si el afrontamiento resiliente media en este vínculo, reclutamos a 401 desempleados a través de LinkedIn y les pedimos que cumplimentaran cuestionarios de autoinforme. Las correlaciones indican relaciones significativas en la dirección esperada. Los resultados de los análisis de mediación mostraron que el afrontamiento resiliente mediaba el vínculo entre la IE y las conductas de búsqueda de empleo, la felicidad y los síntomas depresivos. Los resultados indican que las unidades de orientación profesional deberían incorporar módulos de IE y resiliencia en sus programas de empleabilidad para potenciar la salud mental y la empleabilidad de los desempleados.(AU)

Emotional Intelligence and Teachers' Work Engagement: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Perceived Stress.

A growing number of studies have tested the relationship between personal resources (e.g. emotional intelligence) and indicators of occupational well-being, including work engagement. However, few have examined health-related factors moderating or mediating the pathway from emotional intelligence to work engagement. A better knowledge of this area would contribute substantially to the design of effective intervention strategies. The present study's main goal was to test the mediating and moderating role of perceived stress in the association between emotional intelligence and work engagement. The participants comprised 1166 Spanish teaching professionals (744 of whom were female and 537 worked as secondary teachers; Mage = 44.28 years). The results showed that perceived stress partially mediated the link between emotional intelligence and work engagement. Moreover, the positive relationship between emotional intelligence and work engagement was strengthened among individuals who scored high in perceived stress. The results suggest that multifaceted interventions targeting stress management and emotional intelligence development may facilitate engagement in emotionally demanding occupations such as teaching.

A 4-month prospective study of the relationship between emotional intelligence and suicide ideation in Spanish adolescents: The mediating role of positive and negative affect.

This research examined the relationships among emotional intelligence, positive and negative affect, and suicide ideation between Spanish adolescents in a 4-month follow-up study. Adolescents (N = 1,174) from Southern Spain completed an emotional intelligence scale and, 4 months later, 818 of them completed scales measuring affect and suicide ideation. Mediation analyses revealed that both positive and negative affect were significant partial mediators of the prospective relationship between emotional intelligence and suicide ideation. Overall, our findings support the role of emotional intelligence in suicidal thoughts, suggesting that emotional intelligence may reduce suicide ideation in part through its effects on affectivity.

The moderating role of emotional intelligence in the link between self-esteem and symptoms of eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to explore the moderating role of emotional intelligence (EI) in the relationship between self-esteem and eating disorders (ED) symptomatology. METHOD: A battery of online questionnaires was administered to a sample of 516 adults including university students and a community population. The sample, age range of 18-77 years (X = 38.90; SD = 14.76), was made up of 63% women and 32% men. RESULTS: EI moderated the association between self-esteem and ED symptomatology for the total sample. However, a gender-specific analysis showed that the moderation effect was only significant for women. Specifically, when women reported a low level of self-esteem, those with high scores in EI reported lower scores in ED symptoms than those with low EI. DISCUSSION: Our findings are discussed in terms of the need for future research to understand the different gender associations and to consider these differences in further intervention programs for reducing the risk of ED, in which training in emotional skills may be more beneficial for women than men.

Suicide risk assessment and depressive symptoms among Spanish adolescent bully-victims: Evidence for the importance of emotional intelligence and sex.

The aim of this study is to explore a model examining how emotional intelligence (EI), sex, depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STB) may interact. The sample included 380 Spanish adolescent bully-victims (61.6% boys; mean age = 14.38 years). The results indicated that EI is a significant negative predictor of decreased STB and that this relation is fully mediated by depressive symptoms. This effect was moderated by sex, such that the mediation is stronger for girls compared to boys. The promotion of EI may be core in the development of prevention programmes for suicide, especially among female bully-victims.

Corrigendum: From Deficits in Emotional Intelligence to Eating Disorder Symptoms: A Sequential Path Analysis Approach Through Self-Esteem and Anxiety.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.713070.].

Teachers' Subjective Happiness: Testing the Importance of Emotional Intelligence Facets Beyond Perceived Stress.

PURPOSE: Emotional intelligence (EI) is typically linked to higher subjective happiness scores in human service professionals. It is unknown which EI facets are more predictive in explaining subjective happiness beyond that accounted for by other key predictors such as perceived stress. This study investigated which EI facets were the most predictive in explaining subjective happiness above perceived stress in a relatively large sample of Spanish teachers. METHODS: The sample was composed of 1323 Spanish teaching professionals (821 females and 529 secondary school teachers) from different educational centers located in Southern Spain. A student-recruited sampling technique was used, and the surveys included the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Subjective Happiness Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Predictive and incremental validity was assessed with SPSS, and hierarchical regression analysis was used to predict subjective happiness from EI facets beyond that accounted for by perceived stress. RESULTS: The results showed that all four EI facets correlated significantly with each other. Also, they all were positively and significantly associated with subjective happiness, whereas perceived stress was negatively associated with happiness scores. Moreover, self-emotion appraisal, use of emotions and regulation of emotions accounted for a significant amount of variance in the prediction of satisfaction with life beyond the effects of sociodemographic variables and perceived stress. CONCLUSION: This study extends the specific contribution of EI facets in predicting subjective happiness, rather than EI as a unified construct, in a relatively large sample of Spanish teachers. Self-focused dimensions involving appraisal, use and regulation of emotions appeared to be the most important predictors of happiness beyond stress experienced by teachers. Improved knowledge of the link between specific dimensions of EI and global subjective happiness might improve training in a well-being prevention program for professional development.

A mediated path from emotional intelligence to problematic social media use in adolescents: The serial mediation of perceived stress and depressive symptoms.

Online social networking is an intrinsic part of present life. However, if individuals believe that some basic psychological needs can only be fulfilled through social networking sites, an addictive pattern of usage may emerge. Problematic social media use (PSMU) is a growing concern in adolescence. The present study aimed at contributing to prior scientific literature by testing a model that considers low emotional intelligence (EI) as a vulnerability factor, perceived stress and depressive symptoms as affective and cognitive responses to conflicting situations, and PSMU as a maladaptive coping mechanism. In this study, 2068 Spanish adolescents (46.2% male, 53.8% female) within the ages of 12 and 19 (M = 14.61, SD = 1.62) completed self-report measures of the above-mentioned constructs. Results indicated that (a) perceived stress was a significant mediator in the association between EI and PSMU, (b) depressive symptoms were a significant mediator in this link, and (c) a significant serial mediation model was supported, in which lower EI predicted higher perceived stress, which contributed to higher levels of depressive symptoms, thus resulting in higher PSMU. These results provide important empirical evidence suggesting promising pathways towards preventing PSMU in adolescents, such as EI training, teaching stress-reduction techniques and focusing on reducing depressive symptoms.

Student aggression against teachers, stress, and emotional intelligence as predictors of withdrawal intentions among secondary school teachers.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This exploratory study aimed to test the buffering effect of emotional intelligence in the associations between aggression against teachers, perceived stress, and withdrawal intentions. DESIGN AND METHODS: A sample of 329 secondary school teachers (51.4% female) completed questionnaires assessing aggression against teachers, perceived stress, withdrawal intentions, and emotional intelligence. RESULTS: The results showed that emotional intelligence was negatively related to perceived stress and withdrawal intentions. Across moderated-mediation analysis, there were mixed findings regarding the moderating effects of emotional intelligence in the proposed model. Findings indicated that emotional intelligence moderated only the association between perceived stress and withdrawal intentions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that emotional intelligence is a psychological resource for mitigating the negative effects of perceived stress on negative work attitudes among teaching professionals in the context of harmful student behaviors. Possible avenues for including emotional intelligence in the field of teacher victimization are discussed.

Pathways from emotional intelligence to well-being and health outcomes among unemployed: Mediation by health-promoting behaviours.

This study investigated whether health-promoting behaviours mediate the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and well-being and health outcomes in the unemployed population. Spanish unemployed (N = 530) completed questionnaires of EI, health-promoting lifestyles, subjective well-being and perceived health. Path-analytic results showed that EI predicted well-being and self-reported health. Health-promoting behaviours: spiritual growth, stress management and physical activity, partially mediated the link between EI and well-being and health outcomes. Findings are discussed in terms of the role that promoting health behaviours might play regarding to well-being and health outcomes after job-loss, and in developing of EI and health-promotion programmes for unemployed populations.

The Moderating Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Problematic Internet Use and Cyberbullying Perpetration Among Adolescents: Gender Differences.

A large body of literature has identified the problematic Internet use as a risk factor for cyberbullying perpetration. Nevertheless, the studies on protective factors that may moderate this relationship are still scarce. The purpose of the present study was to examine if the emotional intelligence is a moderator in the relationship between problematic Internet use and cyberbullying perpetration. A total of 2039 Spanish adolescents between 12 to 18 years filled out three self-report questionnaires to evaluate these variables. Results indicated that cyberbullying perpetration was positively associated with problematic Internet use and negatively with emotional intelligence. On the other hand, problematic Internet use was negatively related to emotional intelligence, being this relationship stronger in girls. With respect to the possible buffering effect, emotional intelligence moderated the relation between problematic Internet use and cyberbullying perpetration in boys, especially at lower levels. These findings suggest that emotional intelligence is a personal resource which have an important protective role for the problematic Internet use in adolescents. Implications for the preventive interventions of cyberbullying perpetration are discussed.

Psychological distress, rumination and problematic smartphone use among Spanish adolescents: An emotional intelligence-based conditional process analysis.

BACKGROUND: Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is a public health issue that is currently rising among adolescents. The Compensatory Internet Use Theory (CIUT) poses that difficulties in handling negative life circumstances could result in PSU. Furthermore, the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model suggests that the interaction between core characteristics and affective and cognitive responses could lead to PSU. The present study aimed to clarify the links between psychological distress and PSU by exploring rumination as a mediator and emotional intelligence (EI) as a moderator. METHODS: A sample of 1882 adolescents (54% female, 46% male) completed measures of psychological distress, rumination, EI and PSU. The PROCESS macro was used to conduct a moderated mediation analysis. RESULTS: The mediation results showed a significant indirect effect from psychological distress to PSU through rumination. Furthermore, EI was a significant moderator of this effect. Thus, in adolescents with higher EI, the effect of psychological distress on PSU through rumination was not significant. LIMITATIONS: Cross-sectional data do not imply causality and further studies should use longitudinal designs. Self-report questionnaires may be susceptible to social desirability bias and future studies including other sources of information may help to minimize such bias. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to the field of problematic digital technology usage, showing that the link between psychological distress and PSU depends on the EI levels, which might influence PSU indirectly through rumination. Furthermore, empirical evidence for the CIUT and I-PACE models was provided. Lastly, interventions aiming at training EI may aid in the prevention of PSU.

From Deficits in Emotional Intelligence to Eating Disorder Symptoms: A Sequential Path Analysis Approach Through Self-Esteem and Anxiety.

Past studies have reported emotional intelligence (EI) as a relevant factor in development and maintenance of eating disorders (ED), as well as in increasing self-esteem and reducing anxiety. Similarly, research has showed that anxiety and self-esteem are positively and negatively associated to ED criteria, respectively. However, no prior studies have yet tested the multiple intervening roles of both self-esteem and anxiety as potential mediators of the association between EI and ED symptomatology. The present study aims to bridge these gaps by testing a sequential path model. Specifically, we examine the potential sequential mediation effects of self-esteem-anxiety on the link between EI and ED. A sample composed of 516 Spanish undergraduate students and community adults completed measures of EI, self-esteem, anxiety, and ED symptomatology. The results show that high levels of EI were positively associated with self-esteem and negatively associated with anxiety and ED symptoms. Anxiety was positively associated to ED symptoms, while self-esteem levels were negatively linked to ED symptoms. Moreover, path analyses showed that self-esteem and anxiety fully mediated the relationship between EI and ED symptoms in sequence. These findings suggest that EI plays a key role in reducing symptomatology of ED through increased self-esteem and reduced anxiety symptoms, providing novel evidence regarding psychological mechanisms through which EI contributes to a reduction of ED symptomatology. Implications for assessing and improving these psychological resources in ED preventive programs are discussed.

A Closer Look at the Emotional Intelligence Construct: How Do Emotional Intelligence Facets Relate to Life Satisfaction in Students Involved in Bullying and Cyberbullying?

Adolescents' perception of their own emotional abilities has been related to psychological adjustment and well-being. However, there are still few studies focusing on specific emotional dimensions in relation to bullying and well-being in adolescence. This study analysed the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) facets, satisfaction with life, bullying and cyberbullying in adolescents. The sample consisted of 3520 high school students (51.5% females) aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 14.37; SD = 1.67). The correlation analyses showed that the majority of EI facets were positively related to satisfaction with life and negatively with both types of violence. As was expected, bullying and cyberbullying victims and bully-victims scored lower in satisfaction with life and the majority of EI facets. Controlling for sex, age, and grade, self-emotion appraisal, use of emotions and regulation of emotion were the best predictors of life satisfaction in bully-victims of bullying and cyberbullying. Finally, we discuss the relevance of these findings for clinical and educational practice on EI seeking to promote subjective well-being among adolescents involved in bullying and cyberbullying.

The Role of Emotional Intelligence, the Teacher-Student Relationship, and Flourishing on Academic Performance in Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Study.

Educational context has an important influence on adolescents' development and well-being, which also affects their academic performance. Previous empirical studies highlight the importance of levels of emotional intelligence for students' academic performance. Despite several studies having analyzed the association and underlying mechanisms linking emotional intelligence and academic performance, further research, including both personal and contextual dimensions, is necessary to better understand this relation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to deepen the understanding of the effect of emotional intelligence has on academic performance, examining the possible mediating role of flourishing and the moderating role of the teacher-student relationship. A convenience sample of 283 adolescents (49.8% female), aged 12-18 years (M = 14.42, SD = 1.12), participated in a cross-sectional study by completing self-report questionnaires measuring emotional intelligence (Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale), flourishing (Flourishing Scale), and teacher-student relationship (Inventory of Teacher-Student Relationships) and reported their grades of the previous term on four mandatory subjects in the Spanish education curriculum. Results indicated that flourishing completely mediated the path from emotional intelligence to academic performance and that teacher-student relationship was a significant moderator in this model. Thus, in adolescents with worse teacher-student relationship, the association of emotional intelligence and flourishing was stronger than in adolescents with better teacher-student relationship. In turn, flourishing was positively associated with academic performance. These results suggest that it is crucial to foster better teacher-student relationship, especially in adolescents with low emotional intelligence, and to positively impact their well-being and their academic performance.

Linking Self- and Other-Focused Emotion Regulation Abilities and Occupational Commitment among Pre-Service Teachers: Testing the Mediating Role of Study Engagement.

This investigation aimed to explore the mediator role of study engagement (i.e., study vigor and dedication) in the association between self- and other-focused emotion regulation abilities and occupational commitment in a sample of pre-service teachers. The sample was comprised of 249 students (65.5% female; Mage = 27 years) of a master's degree in teacher training for secondary education. Results showed the relationship between self-focused emotion regulation ability and occupational commitment to be fully mediated by levels of vigor. No significant results were found regarding a mediator model involving other-focused emotion regulation as predictor. Although these findings warrant prospective replication, they provide evidence that development of self-focused emotion regulation skills (rather than other-focused skills) may facilitate occupational commitment among beginning teachers through desirable states that facilitate energy and reduce the likelihood of fatigue at work. These results are discussed in terms of their practical implications for developing interventions to improve pre-service teachers' well-being and commitment.

Managing Teachers' Job Attitudes: The Potential Benefits of Being a Happy and Emotional Intelligent Teacher.

According to the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, the frequency of positive emotions is associated with the development of positive attitudes, cognitions, and behaviors in organizational contexts. However, positive and negative attitudes at work might also be influenced by different personal and job resources. While emotional intelligence has been significantly associated with positive job attitudes and personal well-being, no studies have yet examined the joint role of teacher happiness and emotional intelligence in key teacher job attitudes. The present study assesses whether emotional intelligence interacts with levels of teacher happiness to jointly explain important teacher job attitudes (i.e., job satisfaction and turnover intention). A total sample of 685 teaching professionals (431 female) filled out a battery of scales including subjective happiness, emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Our results revealed that subjective happiness was significantly associated with both higher job satisfaction and lower turnover intention. Likewise, emotional intelligence was positively related to happiness and job satisfaction, and negatively related to turnover intention. Finally, interaction analysis showed the main effects of happiness and emotional intelligence in explaining teacher job attitudes. Beyond the main effects, the interaction effects of happiness and emotional intelligence were significant in predicting all teachers' job attitude indicators, even controlling for the effects of their sociodemographic variables. This work expands our knowledge about the role of teachers' positive emotions in the development of positive work attitudes, and also supports the inclusion of emotional skills in future teacher preparation programs as resources to facilitate work-related well-being.

How Do Cyber Victimization and Low Core Self-Evaluations Interrelate in Predicting Adolescent Problematic Technology Use?

Research has demonstrated that cyber victimization is consistently associated with higher problem behaviors such as problematic technology use. However, little research has examined specific individual dispositions that can serve as a buffer in the link between cyber victimization and higher problematic uses of technology (i.e., problematic Internet, smartphone, and social media), such as core self-evaluations (CSE). A convenience sample of 1211 high school students, 657 females, 554 males, aged 12 to 18 (mean age = 13.74) completed measures of cyber victimization, CSE, and different problematic technology-related behaviors. Results of correlational analysis revealed significant associations between cyber victimization and all problematic uses of technology. Our findings also suggested that high CSE weakened the relationship between cyber victimization and two of the three problematic uses of technology. Consistent with social compensation theory, cyber victimization was concurrently linked to different problematic uses of technology. Low CSE also strengthened the link between cyber victimization and problems use of smartphones and social media and also showed a marginally significant interaction with cyber victimization in predicting problematic Internet use. Implications of these preliminary findings are discussed and avenues for further research are offered.