A study of emotional intelligence, perceived stress and coping in final year medical undergraduates

Abstract

The term “Emotional Intelligence” (EI) describes the “ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate between them and to use the information to guide one’s thinking and actions. It helps people to cope better and therefore is required in medical students to cope with everyday stresses. This study was conducted with an aim to study emotional intelligence, perceived stress and coping in final year medical undergraduates. Evaluation of emotional intelligence, perceived stress, general health, and ways of coping was done. This study concludes that emotional intelligence had a negative correlation with perceived and mental stress, maladaptive coping behaviour (escape avoidance) and a positive correlation with adaptive coping style (Planful problem solving).Higher emotional intelligence is associated with better quality of health.

Keywords

• emotional intelligence
• stress
• coping
• skills.