Human intelligence is one of the personality traits constantly being studied from various perspectives. However, this concept often means development as a more critical parameter for solving everyday problems. Although a massive part of a person’s life depends on common intelligence, emotional intelligence (EI) is no less important. This personality trait describes the skills needed to process and express emotions and sensations and understand their manifestations in other people (Beri, 2018). At the same time, an essential element for understanding the level of EI is the ability of a person to process his feelings in such a way that they do not harm them and are subject to direction and adjustment (Bakhriddin & Ulmasova, 2021). As a consequence, an insufficient level of emotional intelligence can be potentially harmful to a person.
This damage is most relevant in the context of a person’s mental health and the integrity of their psyche. According to Bakhriddin and Ulmasova (2021), emotions are one of psychology’s most crucial studied elements, without which it is impossible to understand the human mentality. Feelings experienced by a person can be destructive, negatively affecting their way of life and morale. This is most evident in the context of adolescents, who often experience most of their emotions violently. The inability to effectively manage one’s emotions often leads to various kinds of rash actions, which only further reduce adolescents’ happiness (Guerra-Bustamante et al., 2019). As a result, a person’s mental health deteriorates, facilitated by external factors such as psychological stress from studying (Moeller et al., 2020). An additional argument in favor of the relationship between these two concepts is the definition of mental health as the ability to resolve internal conflicts and build harmonious relationships with people (Gorji et al., 2018). Since this definition echoes the concepts behind emotional intelligence, the connection between the two is clear.
However, this also leads to the conclusion that a high level of EI, a well-developed ability to manage one’s emotions, can positively affect a person’s mental health. At the moment, there is a tremendous amount of research linking emotional intelligence with health. In addition, this concept can be divided into many subcategories due to its complex structure (Baudry et al., 2018). With so many components that are closely intertwined with the human psyche, the fact that there is a connection between a person’s mental health and EI level becomes apparent. Moreover, it has been backed up by numerous studies demonstrating this association in people of all genders and ages (Kaur, 2019). The more advanced emotional intelligence a person has, the happier they are in everyday life.
Nevertheless, another connection is also interesting in the context of this connection. Since EI is not a fixed parameter but the ability to adapt to one’s emotional background, it is logical to assume that it affects mental health more flexibly. A person’s mental state is also not a fixed value and can change depending on various circumstances. Consequently, one of these influencing factors can be emotions, the uncontrollable flow of which can significantly undermine the stability of the psyche. In this case, it is logical to assume that EI positively affects mental health and has a more complex relationship. Therefore, the hypothesis for the research proposal is formulated as follows: emotional intelligence increases the chances of a more successful adjustment of the mental state. Since emotions directly impact mental health, and EI allows one to manage emotions flexibly, such an adjustment should also extend to the human psyche.
References
Bakhriddin, U., & Ulmasova, D. (2021). The influence of emotional intelligence on mental health. Berlin Studies Transnational Journal of Science and Humanities, 1(1.9). Web.
Baudry, A. S., Grynberg, D., Dassonneville, C., Lelorain, S., & Christophe, V. (2018). Sub‐dimensions of trait emotional intelligence and health: A critical and systematic review of the literature. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 59(2), 206-222.
Beri, N. (2018). Academic performance, social adjustment and emotional intelligence of students involved in social networking sites. Indian Journal of Public Health, 9(11).
Gorji, A. M. H., Shafizad, M., Soleimani, A., Darabinia, M., & Goudarzian, A. H. (2018). Path analysis of self-efficacy, critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence for mental health of medical students. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 12(4), 59487.
Guerra-Bustamante, J., León-del-Barco, B., Yuste-Tosina, R., López-Ramos, V. M., & Mendo-Lázaro, S. (2019). Emotional intelligence and psychological well-being in adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(10), 1720. Web.
Moeller, R. W., Seehuus, M., & Peisch, V. (2020). Emotional intelligence, belongingness, and mental health in college students. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 93.
Kaur, R. (2019). Relationship of emotional intelligence with mental health among employees. Emotional Intelligence and Mental Health, 8(3).