Structural links from trait emotional intelligence to life satisfaction and depressive symptoms in women with breast cancer: post-traumatic responses as mediators.

PURPOSE: The diagnosis of a disease such as breast cancer (BC) can be experienced as a sudden, unexpected, and life-threatening event accompanied by considerable uncertainty. This experience can precipitate the development of post-traumatic symptoms and depression. Conversely, certain individuals exhibit the capacity to reframe this traumatic event and transform it into an opportunity for personal growth. Existing research shows that individuals with high trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) tend to experience fewer post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTS), and greater post-traumatic growth (PTG). The aim of this study was to investigate the interrelationship among these variables and specifically examine whether PTS and PTG play a mediating role between trait EI, depression, and life satisfaction. METHODS: Questionnaires were administered to 338 women with BC to assess trait EI, PTS, PTG, depression, and life satisfaction. RESULTS: Results highlighted that trait EI was negatively related to PTS and depression and positively related to PTG and life satisfaction. In addition, both PTS and PTG showed a mediating role in the relationship between trait EI, depression, and life satisfaction. This study highlights the close link between depressive symptoms and post-traumatic cognitions in women with BC. CONCLUSION: Current findings highlight links between trait EI, PTS, PTG, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction. Clinicians could use these findings when developing interventions aimed at alleviating PTS, such as low mood and worry, and facilitating PTG. This study demonstrated that trait EI can reduce PTS and increase PTG, therefore it is important to include programs aimed at fostering trait EI.

Emotional intelligence: a novel predictor of quality of life in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc), a chronic systemic autoimmune disease, affects skin and internal organs compromising organ function and leading to significant morbidity and poor health-related quality of life (HrQoL). This cross-sectional study investigated whether HrQoL is influenced by trait emotional intelligence (TEI). Sixty patients with SSc (Female: 86.67%) completed the socio-demographic characteristics form, TEI Questionnaire Short-Form (TEIQue-SF), and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Sixty healthy controls were also completed the TEIQue-SF. A series of multiple linear regression analyses with correlation matrix was used to analyze SF-36 domains as dependent variables with TEI domains (well-being, self-control, emotionality, sociability) as independent variables. The average age of participants was 57.3 ± 12.9 years with a mean disease duration of 7.7 ± 6.7 years. Patients differed from controls in the sociability domain of TEI. TEI global was found to affect the physical and mental component summaries (p < .001), and all 8 dimensions of the HrQoL (p < .001). Age, disease duration, and gastrointestinal manifestations were negatively associated with various components of SF-36. TEI was positively associated with all dimensions of HrQoL. Understanding the relationship between TEI and HrQoL dimensions is important for the support and empowerment of SSc patients, as well as the establishment and implementation of appropriate psychotherapeutic interventions.

Positive affect and self-care mediate the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and academic engagement in Lebanese undergraduates: Lessons learned from an online setting.

This study examined the impact of positive psychology variables, namely trait emotional intelligence (EI), positive affect and self-care, on academic engagement (AE) in an online learning environment during COVID-19. The study involved 717 undergraduates in Lebanon and utilised structural equation modelling for data analysis. The results demonstrated that positive affect and self-care mediated the relationship between trait EI and AE. In women, both self-care and positive affect were mediators, whereas in men, positive affect was the only mediator. For students who received a mix of synchronous and asynchronous lessons, both self-care and positive affect mediated the relationship between trait EI and AE. However, for those who received only synchronous lessons, positive affect was the sole mediator. Furthermore, AE significantly predicted academic performance (AP) in both models. These findings suggest the importance of interventions that enhance trait EI, positive emotions and self-care to improve AE and ultimately AP in online learning.

Trait emotional intelligence and quality of life in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: Dysmorphic concerns and general distress as mediators.

OBJECTIVE: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder among women. It is characterised by a variety of symptoms that can seriously impair one's health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Dysmorphic concerns and general distress appear to be related to the development of HRQoL issues, whilst trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) has been significantly linked to better adaptability to chronic conditions. The present study sought to test the hypothesis that an association between trait EI and HRQoL in individuals with PCOS would be mediated by dysmorphic concerns and to examine their relationship with general distress (depression, anxiety, and stress). METHODS: Questionnaires were administered to 478 individuals with PCOS to analyse trait EI, dysmorphic concerns, general distress, and HRQoL. RESULTS: The results indicated that trait EI was negatively associated with dysmorphic concerns and general distress; dysmorphic concerns were positively related to general distress; dysmorphic concerns and general distress were negatively related to HRQoL; and dysmorphic concerns and general distress had a mediating role in the relationship between trait EI and HRQoL. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that individuals with PCOS may have a lower HRQoL and high levels of trait EI may represent a protective factor against poor HRQoL. The implications for clinical practice are discussed.

Cross-sectional study of the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and career adaptability of Chinese youths.

BACKGROUND: Young people often experience dramatic changes, both psychologically and physically, as they are transiting from students to working adults. However, there is still a lack of empirical studies on the relationship between the trait emotional intelligence and the career adaptability of youths in the Asia-Pacific region. This research examines that relationship in Chinese youths in Hong Kong. METHOD: Cross-sectional data (N = 500) was collected from two universities in 2019 and 2020. The 2019 sample was made up of 256 Chinese university students (117 males, 139 females; ages 21-25). The 2020 sample included 244 Chinese university students (132 males, 112 females; ages 21-25). The participants were asked to complete the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) to evaluate their emotional intelligence in the domains of self-emotion appraisal, other people's emotion appraisal, regulation of emotion, and use of emotion. Participants completed the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS) to assess their career adaptability in the areas of concern, control, curiosity, and confidence. RESULTS: All domains of trait emotional intelligence were positively associated with career adaptability. Multiple Regression analysis showed that self-emotion appraisal and appraisal of other people's emotional were the most predictive factors in terms of career adaptability. Together, these two dimensions of emotional intelligence explain 12.5%, 26.2%, 13.4% and 69.4% respectively of the variance in students' concern, control, curiosity, and confidence in relation to career adaptability. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the importance of emotional intelligence in career adaptability. It is thus of value to study further whether career adaptability of young people may improve if emotional intelligence is incorporated into the student curriculum. The findings offer valuable insights for educators and teachers who are responsible for well-rounded development of students, and will thereby foster healthy lifestyles, stable emotional well-being and greater career adaptability in adolescents.

Emotional intelligence mediates the protective role of the orbitofrontal cortex spontaneous activity measured by fALFF against depressive and anxious symptoms in late adolescence.

As a stable personality construct, trait emotional intelligence (TEI) refers to a battery of perceived emotion-related skills that make individuals behave effectively to adapt to the environment and maintain well-being. Abundant evidence has consistently shown that TEI is important for the outcomes of many mental health issues, particularly depression and anxiety. However, the neural substrates involved in TEI and the underlying neurobehavioral mechanism of how TEI reduces depression and anxiety symptoms remain largely unknown. Herein, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and a group of behavioral measures were applied to examine these questions among a large sample comprising 231 general adolescent students aged 16-20 years (52% female). Whole-brain correlation analysis and prediction analysis demonstrated that TEI was negatively linked with spontaneous activity (measured with the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations) in the bilateral medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a critical site implicated in emotion-related processes. Furthermore, structural equation modeling analysis found that TEI mediated the link of OFC spontaneous activity to depressive and anxious symptoms. Collectively, the current findings present new evidence for the neurofunctional bases of TEI and suggest a potential "brain-personality-symptom" pathway for alleviating depressive and anxious symptoms among students in late adolescence.

Trait Emotional Intelligence and Self-regulated Learning in University Students during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediation role of Intolerance of Uncertainty and COVID-19 Perceived Stress.

The coronavirus pandemic strongly impacted the higher education system, challenging university students, who were required to make a considerable effort in terms of revising their personal study approach and managing their emotions. The present study aimed to examine the impact of Trait Emotional Intelligence (TEI) on Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) strategies directly, and indirectly through the mediation of COVID-19 perceived stress (PS) and Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU). 1055 Italian university students (mean age = 22.44 years, SD = 2.39) reached via social media, filled out the tools assessing TEI, COVID-19 PS, IU and SRL. Five mediation analyses performed with PROCESS showed that TEI positively predicted all SRL dimensions, and negatively influenced COVID-19 PS and Prospective and Inhibitory IU. COVID-19 PS and Inhibitory and Prospective IU differently predicted specific SRL dimensions. The indirect effects observed suggest that TEI may help university students to cope with stressful and uncertain psychological experiences in order to achieve higher levels of SRL strategies. The study highlights that TEI plays a pivotal role in academic SRL strategies, underlining the importance of its buffering effect in distressing circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The power (and limits) of the therapeutic relationship: Working alliance, psychiatric distress, and the role of trait emotional intelligence.

OBJECTIVE: The working alliance between therapists and patients is an important factor in the psychotherapy processes. Trait emotional intelligence has also been found to be malleable in treatment and to play a significant role in patient outcomes. The present study investigated how the relationship between measured working alliance and patient symptoms may differ depending on changes in patient trait emotional intelligence capacities. METHODS: One hundred twenty-nine adults at a community mental health clinic completed self-report measures at the beginning of treatment, as well as 8 months into treatment. Hierarchical linear regressions were computed to assess the interaction of working alliance and trait emotional intelligence scores on patient symptom scores. Simple slope tests were used to probe significant interactions. RESULTS: Trait emotional intelligence served as a significant moderator on the relationship between working alliance and patient symptoms. Specifically, the relationship between working alliance and patient symptoms was only significant for participants who reported an improvement in trait emotional intelligence over the course of treatment. CONCLUSION: Results demonstrate that the impact of working alliance on patient symptom outcomes depended on patient improvement in trait emotional intelligence capacities. Such findings emphasize the importance of investigating the nuanced individual factors that impact the ways in which working alliance relates to treatment outcomes.

Validity and reliability of the German versions of the CD-RISC-10 and CD-RISC-2.

The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) is an established instrument to assess trait resilience. The present study investigates the psychometric properties of the brief German CD-RISC-10 and CD-RISC-2 in an online sample of 360 students. The CD-RISC-10 showed good reliability, whereas the CD-RISC-2 just missed an acceptable level of reliability. The unifactorial structure of the CD-RISC-10 was supported in a confirmatory factor analysis. Correlational analysis with various clinical and non-clinical constructs (e.g., trait resilience, trait emotional intelligence, life satisfaction, well-being, perceived stress, sleep problems, anxiety, depression, and mental and physical health related quality of life) provided evidence for convergent, divergent, and incremental validity of both brief versions of the CD-RISC. Measured with the CD-RISC-10, trait resilience buffered the effects of perceived stress on life satisfaction and aggregated mental health problems, but not on physical health related quality of life. For the CD-RISC-2, a buffer effect was only found for life satisfaction. Taken together, the results of the present study provide support for the validity of the CD-RISC-10 and, to a lesser extent, of the CD-RISC-2. Implications and limitations of the results will be discussed.

Trait emotional intelligence and quality of life among breast cancer patients: The mediating role of fear of cancer recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Trait emotional intelligence and fear of cancer recurrence could predict quality of life, but the mechanism between the three is poorly understood. METHODS: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between trait emotional intelligence, fear of cancer recurrence and quality of life in patients with breast cancer. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 215 breast cancer patients recruited from two hospitals in China. Data were collected from December 2018 to April 2019. Questionnaires measured demographic and medical characteristics, trait emotional intelligence, fear of cancer recurrence and quality of life. Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation modelling were conducted to analyse the data. RESULTS: As expected, trait emotional intelligence was positively related to quality of life and negatively correlated with fear of cancer recurrence. Fear of cancer recurrence was negatively associated with quality of life. This relationship between trait emotional intelligence and quality of life was mediated by fear of cancer recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: These results shed light on underlying mechanisms by which trait emotional intelligence affects quality of life. Trait emotional intelligence training could reduce fear of cancer recurrence to improve quality of life for cancer patients.

Expressive flexibility and health-related quality of life: The predictive role of enhancement and suppression abilities and relationships with trait emotional intelligence.

This study aims to examine the ability to flexibly enhance and suppress emotional expression, known as expressive flexibility, in relation to physical and psychological health, as well as trait emotional intelligence (EI). A sample of 503 Italian (Mage = 28.65 ± 9.26 years, 85.1% females) participants completed the Italian version of Flexible Regulation of Emotional Expression (FREE) Scale, the TEIQue-SF, and the Short Form-12 Health Survey. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the Italian version of FREE showed adequate psychometric properties. In both genders, results of correlational analyses indicated that enhancement ability was associated with well-being, emotionality, and sociability, whereas suppression ability was associated with self-control. Regression analyses, controlling for age and gender, indicated that suppression and inversely enhancement abilities, predicted the perceived psychological but not physical health. Well-being, self-control, and sociability also contributed to explaining variance in the model. The interaction effect of enhancement and suppression was not significantly associated with either physical or psychological health. Overall, these results suggest that enhancement and suppression abilities differentially contribute to psychological health when trait EI is accounted for. Clinical implications and future directions for research on expressive flexibility are discussed.

Personal values, trait emotional intelligence, and mental health problems.

Personal values and personality traits are related yet distinguishable constructs linked to mental health. The present study extends the current literature on personal values and personality traits by investigating the associations between the higher-order dimensions of personal values (i.e., general values factor, conservation, and self-transcendence), trait emotional intelligence (TEI), and mental health problems (i.e., depressive, anxiety, and somatoform syndromes). The study draws on a cross-sectional online sample of N = 618 young German adults. Global TEI and all four TEI factors (i.e., well-being, sociability, emotionality, and self-control) correlated positively with the g-value factor but negatively with conservation. Emotionality was also positively related to self-transcendence. Mental health problems correlated positively with conservation and negatively with the general values factor. When the effects of global TEI were accounted for, conservation but not the general values factor remained significantly related to mental health problems. Global TEI fully mediated the relationship between the g-value factor and mental health problems and partially mediated the association between conservation and mental health problems. The implications of these results are discussed.

Quiet Ego Intervention Enhances Flourishing by Increasing Quiet Ego Characteristics and Trait Emotional Intelligence: A Randomized Experiment.

The quiet ego-a personality construct characterized by empathy, inclusivity, non-defensiveness, and growth-mindedness in self-other relations-correlates positively with varied health markers. There is also emerging evidence that quiet-ego-based interventions may have a positive impact on health-related outcomes. However, no research has examined whether such interventions promote psychological flourishing and through what mechanisms. We addressed this gap with a randomized longitudinal experiment, hypothesizing that a quiet ego contemplation would improve participants' flourishing and that the link between the intervention and flourishing would be mediated by higher trait emotional intelligence (EI). Using Amazon MTurk, we randomly assigned 75 participants to a 3-session intervention or control condition. As hypothesized, participants in the intervention condition reported higher trait EI scores that, in turn, elevated their flourishing. Results extend the causal benefits of brief quiet ego interventions to psychological flourishing. Given the study's context during the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings may have implications for mitigating the negative impact of the pandemic. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10902-022-00560-z.

Can Religiosity and Social Support Explain Effects of Trait Emotional Intelligence on Health-Related Quality of Life: A Cross-Cultural Study.

Religion and social support along with trait emotional intelligence (EI) help individuals to reduce stress caused by difficult situations. Their implications may vary across cultures in reference to predicting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A convenience sample of N = 200 chronic heart failure (CHF) patients was recruited at cardiology centers in Germany (n = 100) and Pakistan (n = 100). Results indicated that trait-EI predicted better mental component of HRQoL in Pakistani and German CHF patients. Friends as social support appeared relevant for German patients only. Qualitative data indicate an internal locus of control in German as compared to Pakistani patients. Strengthening the beneficial role of social support in Pakistani patients is one example of how the current findings may inspire culture-specific treatment to empower patients dealing with the detrimental effects of CHF.

Leading with a cool head and a warm heart: trait-based leadership resources linked to task performance, perceived stress, and work engagement.

Leaders of today need to achieve well in terms of task performance, perceiving low stress, and having high levels of work engagement. One may ask whether trait-based leadership resource factors can be identified and how such resource factors might relate to task performance, perceived stress, and work engagement. Our aim was to test the hypothesis, derived from Hobfoll's motivational Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, that there are trait-based leadership resource factors, which are differentially correlated to the leaders' task performance, perceived stress, and work engagement. Leaders (N = 344) aged from 23 to 65 years (M = 49, SD = 8.6; 58% women) completed an online questionnaire including measures of task performance, perceived stress, work engagement, personality traits, trait emotional intelligence, empathy, performance-related self-esteem, compassionate and rational leadership competence, and coping resources for stress. Using exploratory factor analysis, we identified four trait-based leadership resource factors. With Bonferroni adjustment, and controlling for sex, age, number of years in the current managerial position, self-deceptive enhancement, and impression management, only Rational Mastery was significantly positively correlated with task performance. Rational Mastery, Efficient Coping, and Modesty were negatively correlated with perceived stress, and all factors except Modesty, but including the fourth (Good-Heartedness) were positively correlated with work engagement. Organizations striving for sustainable work conditions should support trait-based leadership, which depends not only on a task-oriented resource such as rational mastery, but also on human-oriented resources such as efficient coping, modesty, and good-heartedness, all of them being differentially related to task performance, perceived stress, and work engagement. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03767-8.

The effect of trait emotional intelligence on working memory across athletic expertise.

Research attests to the important contributions of emotional, athletic, and cognitive expertise for sport performance. However, little is known regarding the interplay between trait emotional intelligence, athletic expertise, and working memory. The aim of this research was to examine the interplay between working memory (emotional, capacity and ability), trait emotional intelligence and athletic expertise. In total, 437 participants aged between 18 and 27 years with a range of athletic expertise (i.e., non-athlete n = 96, novice n = 92, amateur n = 85, elite n = 83, and super-elite n = 81) completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short Form, an Emotion Recognition Task (i.e., working memory-emotional), a Spatial Span Task (i.e., working memory-capacity), and a Spatial Working Memory Test (i.e., working memory-ability). Structural equation modelling indicated a significant positive relationship between trait emotional intelligence and all three components of working memory (i.e., emotional, capacity and ability). Also, this differed over athletic expertise whereby those with more expertise reported larger effects than those with less expertise. These findings suggest that trait emotional intelligence is important for working memory in athletes. Moreover, the link between cognitive and affective processes are increasingly relevant as athletes develop expertise levels.

The relationship of compassion and self-compassion with personality and emotional intelligence.

The two studies presented in this article examine the relationships of personality traits and trait emotional intelligence (EI) with compassion and self-compassion in samples of Italian workers. Study 1 explored the relationship between trait EI and both compassion and self-compassion, controlling for the effects of personality traits in 219 workers of private Italian organizations. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that trait EI explained variance beyond that accounted for by personality traits in relation to both compassion and self-compassion. Study 2 analyzed the contribution of trait EI in mediating the relationship between personality traits and both compassion and self-compassion of 231 workers from public Italian organizations with results supporting the mediating role of trait EI.

Trait emotional intelligence and emotional experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in Poland: A daily diary study.

The study examined trait emotional intelligence as a predictor for emotional reactions experienced during the first full week of the lockdown in Poland (from 16th to 22nd March). One hundred and thirty persons (101 women and 25 men; 4 did not report their gender)participated in the baseline measurement of trait emotional intelligence, positive and negative affect, and affect intensity and in a one-week daily diary. Trait emotional intelligence correlated positively with baseline positive affect and positive intensity, while negatively with baseline negative affect and negative intensity. Trait emotional intelligence marginally significantly predicted a lower frequency of anger, disgust, and sadness during the first week of the pandemic. Trait emotional intelligence predicted a lower intensity of fear, anxiety and sadness. The study showed a complex dynamics of emotional experiences during the first week of the COVID-19 pandemic. Positive states of relaxation and happiness were experienced more frequently and more intensely compared to the negatively-valenced emotions. The protective role of trait emotional intelligence during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak was mainly associated with experiencing negative emotions (fear, anxiety, and sadness) less intensely, but not less frequently.

A trait emotional intelligence perspective on schema modes.

Schema modes (or modes) are a key concept in the theory underlying schema therapy. Modes have rarely been related to established models of personality traits. The present study thus investigates the associations between trait emotional intelligence (TEI) and 14 modes, and tests a global TEI-mode factors-general psychological distress mediation model. The study draws on self-report data from 173 inpatients from a German clinic for psychosomatic medicine. Global TEI correlated positively with both healthy modes (happy child and healthy adult) and negatively with 10 maladaptive modes. When modes were regressed on the four TEI factors, six (emotionality), five (well-being), four (sociability), and four (self-control) significant partial effects on 10 modes emerged. In the parallel mediation model, the mode factors internalization and compulsivity fully mediated the global TEI-general psychological distress link. Implications of the results for the integration of modes with traits in general and with TEI in particular as well as implications of low TEI as a transdiagnostic feature of personality malfunctioning are discussed.

Addictive internet behaviors: The role of trait emotional intelligence, self-esteem, age, and gender.

Internet is essential part of everyday life and certainly facilitate it on several levels. It is a helpful information tool, and knowledge, but its unlimited range often is risky for users. The behaviors and outcomes of internet abuse have already been well-documented in the literature; less is known about the role of personal factors that reinforce internet addiction. Based on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model (I-PACE), the current study investigates the role of trait emotional intelligence and self-esteem, age, and gender in relation to addictive internet behaviors. We conducted an online investigation among respondents. The participants were Italian university students who voluntarily completed the Abuse Internet Addiction scale (UADI) and the Rosenberg Self-esteem scale. Path analysis results revealed that both trait emotional intelligence and self-esteem had a protective direct effect on addictive internet behaviors. Age negatively affects addictive internet behaviors; younger are more likely to develop addictive internet behaviors than older individuals. Finally, we did not find an effect of gender on addictive internet behaviors. Our results suggest the need to develop prevention plans for addictive internet behaviors and educational programs to increase emotional intelligence and self-esteem components to help younger to improve interpersonal and emotional management skills to better handle their internet use.