Emotional intelligence training as a protective factor for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a major challenge to mental health and emotional wellbeing. The present study examined whether training in emotional intelligence (EI) skills, provided before the pandemic, would serve as a protective factor for sustaining mental health during the COVID-19 crisis. METHODS: Data came from a longitudinal study (N = 89) that was initially designed to test the effectiveness of an EI training program versus a non-emotion-focused placebo program. The design and timing of the study were such that baseline and posttraining assessments of depression and anxiety had been completed before the pandemic, and planned 6-month follow-ups were serendipitously scheduled to occur after the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. This provided us with an unexpected real-world opportunity to investigate whether EI training would bolster emotional resilience to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Although mental health concerns generally increased after the start of the pandemic, individuals who completed the EI training program scored lower on depression, suicidal ideation, and state anxiety relative to individuals who had been assigned to the placebo training program. CONCLUSION: Online EI training appears to be effective at sustaining critical aspects of mental health during a subsequent real-life crisis.

Emotional intelligence training for pre-service primary school teachers: a mixed methods research.

Introduction: This research devises a training program for developing emotional intelligence focused on social and emotional learning and integrates it into teaching to improve pre-service teachers' emotional intelligence. Methods: The study used a embedded mixed design. The quantitative dimension of the study used a controlled quasi-experimental design with pre-test/post-test, and the qualitative dimension used an evaluative case study design. The study was conducted with 73 prospective primary school teachers studying at the faculty of education of a Turkish state university. The study group was formed using purposive random sampling. The sample for the quantitative dimension was composed using probability random sampling, whereas the sample for the qualitative dimension was composed using purposive sampling. The program was administered to the experimental group for 10 weeks. Quantitative data were obtained using the Bar-On EQ-i, and qualitative data were obtained using a semi-structured interview questionnaire and participant diaries. Quantitative data were analyzed using normality analysis and one-factor analysis of covariance, whereas qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive and content analysis. Results: The results found the developed training program to be an effective approach to improve emotional intelligence among pre-service teachers. Moreover, data obtained from documentary sources and focus group interviews during and after the application of the program confirmed and adequately explained the quantitative results. Discussion: In line with the purpose of the study, the findings obtained from the quantitative part of the study showed that the implementation of the training program for the development of emotional intelligence focused on SEL was an effective approach in increasing the emotional intelligence levels of the pre-service teachers in the experimental group. Similar research results also support that pre-service teachers' emotional intelligence can be improved with additional intervention practices without affecting their curriculum.

Effects of Emotional Intelligence Training on Symptom Severity in Patients With Depressive Disorders.

Depressive disorders affect individual's thoughts, feelings, and social interactions. Enhancing emotional competencies of depressed individuals may alleviate their suffering. Purpose: This study aimed to compare depression severity and emotional intelligence before and after emotional intelligence training in patients with depressive disorders. Methods: A nonrandomized trial (one-group pretest-posttest) research design was applied to 69 patients purposively recruited. The patients' sociodemographic and clinical data were collected. The Beck Depression Inventory-II and Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form were completed before and immediately after an 8-weeks of focused weekly group training. Results: A significant improvement in the scores of well-being, self-control, emotionality, and sociability; total emotional intelligence scores; and total depression scores was perceived after training (Z = 5.601, 4.398, 5.686, and 3.516; 4.943; and 2.387, respectively). Implications for Nursing Practice: As emotional intelligence can be learned; it may be a target for interventions when dealing with patients with depressive disorders by strengthening their emotional intelligence.

EQ Training on Medical Students' ethics education / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective To investigate the emotional intelligence training training's impact on medical students' ethics education.Methods Givingnthe undergraduate and graduate students of Grade 2009,2010 and 2011 emotional intelligent training and distributing questionnaires on ethics education and comparing the result with that of 2006,2007,2008 undergraduate and graduates.Covering issues of medical ethics and the understanding of students' role in alleviating the doctor-patient relationship in medical ethics,evaluation of medical ethics in today's society,the doctor of professional ethics,medical ethics education approaches and problems and so on.By comparing the results of the questionnaire students' knowledge of medical ethics are evaluated and their emotional intelligence training in ethics education role are analyzed.Research data for entry to a database of Excel 2013,using SPSS 19.0 statistical software for analysis,count data taken x2 test,P＜0.05 was considered statistically significant.According to the questionnaire topic A representative proportion of medical students is selected to measure the level of ethics and the role of ethics education in medical students training in emotional intelligence.Results the students of 2006,2007 and 2008 who selected A of five topics were 54.78％(1 278/2 333),79.47％(1 854/2 333),68.41％(1 596/2 333),86.28％(2 013/ 2 333),13.12％(306/2 333); while the students of 2009,2010 and 2011 who selected A of five topics were 73.70％(1 777/2 411),88.68％(2 138/2 411),81.54％(1 966/2 411),93.78％(2 261/2 411),71.75％(1 730/2 411).The difference was statistically significant,indicating that 2009,2010 and 2011 medical students' cognitive level of ethicshas been nore significantly improved than the students of Grade 2006,2007 and 2008.Conclusion EQ training can significantly improve the effectiveness of medical ethics education for medical students and it is worth promoting.