The Association Between Trait Emotional INTELLIGENCE, STRESS, Anxiety and Depression

Abstract

Background: Trait Emotional Intelligence – considered different from ability emotional intelligence – was being conceptualized as a constellation of emotional self perceptions and behavioural dispositions. The study of the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (TEI) and stress and two consequences of stress, anxiety and depression, has revealed contradicting results. Method Objective: the analysis of the relationship between TEI and perceived stress, anxiety and depression in the students' environment. Subjects: N = 115 students. Age - M = 19,41 S.D. = 0,45 Measures: Trait emotional intelligence questionnaire – TEIque-SF - measures a global score of TEI and its factors; Perceived stress scale – PSS - explores the subjective feeling of stress; Anxiety and depression scale – HAD - measures scores for anxiety and depression. Results and discussion: The correlational analysis shows significant negative relationship between TEI and perceived stress (r between -.36 and -.60) as well as between TEI and anxiety and depression. Emotionality and sociability components of the TEI structure seem to have the highest influence in resistance to stress. The results suggests that individuals with highly developed TEI withstand stress better than those with lower scores. We consider that TEI is a useful construct to capture interindividual differences in the case of stress, anxiety and depression.