Psychology Research and Behavior Management (Sep 2022)
Associations of Psychological Capital, Coping Style and Emotional Intelligence with Self-Rated Health Status of College Students in China During COVID-19 Pandemic
Abstract
Xiangzhi Jing,1 Hongling Meng,2 Yuping Li,2 Lingeng Lu,3 Yongcheng Yao2 1School of Medicine, Xinyang Vocational and Technical College, Xinyang, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Mathematics and Statistics, Zhengzhou Normal University, Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USACorrespondence: Yongcheng Yao, Zhengzhou Normal University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450044, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: COVID-19 lockdown can lead to mental health problem, and the problem is heterogeneous across individuals. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between the self-reported health status, emotional coping style, emotional intelligence and positive psychological state of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.Methods: The questionnaires of Self-rated Health Measurement Scale (SRHMS), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ) were used for online survey. The study included 367 undergraduates.Results: Undergraduate sex, sibling and birth of place were associated with either psychological capital scores or emotional intelligence. Online time per day had significantly negative associations with self-rated health and psychological capital scores. Multivariate analysis showed that the interaction between emotional intelligence, psychological capital and coping styles was statistically significant (β = − 0.112, p = 0.045) in health status with psychological capital ranking the top (β = 0.428). Mediation analysis showed that psychological capital and coping style modified the effect of emotional intelligence on health status.Conclusion: Psychological capital and coping style modified the effect of emotional intelligence on health status in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this pandemic emergency, a comprehensive intervention, such as positive coping styles with optimistic emotional perception and understanding as well as social support, is an important measure against the pandemic-induced mental health problem in college students in China.Keywords: college students, coping style, emotional intelligence, health status, psychological capital
