Can Emotional Intelligence Promote

Good Mental Health and Well-Being

Dr. Rabindra Kr. Pradhan

Assistant Professor
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Introduction

FIFA Declares Him Best

Player of the World Cup

But what does the rest of

the world think of
ZIDANE during the Final
match?
DARK SIDE OF THE GENIUS

Emotional Stupidity
Why some people remain buoyant in the
face of trouble that would sink others.
 Anxiety is a rehearsal for danger.
A little anxiety helps focus the mind;too much can paralyze it.
“Deficient Emotional skills may be the reason that
more than half of marriages end in divorce”
 Aims
 To understand the concept and theories of EI

 To discuss whether EI contributes to

mental health and well being
 To project the application of EI in the
promotion of mental health
What is Emotional Intelligence?
 Three Competing models ,
all Labeled “ Emotional Intelligence

Mayer & Salovey(1995)

“ Emotional Intelligence is the set of Bar – On, 1997 Goldman, 1995
abilities that account for how
people’s emotional perception and “EI is ----- an array of non- EI includes self-control, zeal,
understanding vary in their cognitive capabilities, persistence and the ability to
accuracy. More formally , we define Competencies, and skills that motivate one self.”
emotional intelligence as the ability influence one’s ability to
to perceive and express emotion, succeed in coping with
assimilate emotion in thought , environ demands and MAJOR AREAS
understand and reason with emotion, pressures”.
Knowing one’s emotions
and regulate emotion in the self and
others.” Management Emotion
MAJOR AREAS
MAJOR AREAS Motivating one self
Intra personal skills
Perception and Expression of Recognizing emotion in
Emotion Interpersonal Skills others
Assimilating emotion in Thought Adaptability Handling Relationships
Understanding and analyzing Stress management
Emotion General Mood
Reflective Regulation of
Thought
 Cooper & Sawaf, 1997
Emotional Intelligence as "the ability to sense,
understand, value and effectively apply the power
and acumen of emotions as a source of human
energy, information, trust, creativity and influence.

I. Current Environment: LE, PPS, WPS

II. Emotional Literacy: ESA, EE, EAO
III. EQ Competencies:Inty,Crty, Res, IR, CD
IV. EQ values and Beliefs: Otl, Cmpn, Intn, Tst, PP,
Integrity
V. EQ Outcome: GH, OP, RQ
Why EI Important?

 Smart vs. Dull

 Feeling Good- Thinking Good
 Feeling Bad But Thinking Carefully
 Coping with Stress
 Health and Happiness
 EI relates to Mental Health.

Scientific Journey Begins……….

High Emotional Intelligence A

Life Success And

Good Mental Health
High Positive Affectivity B
Low Negative Affectivity And
High Self - Esteem
(The Relationship between some measures of emotional intelligence, affectivity and life success.
Ciarrochi, Chan, Caputi & Roberts, 2001 (In the Book: EI in Everyday Life: a scientific inquiry)
 Is EI an Indicator of Mental Health?

Life Events Life Outcomes

Major Life events

Adaptation Mental Health

Daily Hassles B Relationship

Quality
Daily uplifts
Work Success
Other emotion- Emotional Intelligence
electing events School Success
Perceiving Physical Health
A C
Expressing
Understanding
Managing
[Ciarrochi,J., Chan,A.,Caputi, P. & Roberts,R.( 200)1 EI in Everyday Life: A Scientific Enquiry.Psy.Press Inc,UK]
Relationship between EI & Coping
(Bar-On, 1999,2000, 2003)

Intra Task Coping

.82 .45

Inter .67 -.33 Emotion Coping

EQ
.89
Adapt -.138
.82
.86 Avoidance Coping
Stress
Mgmt
Mood
EI & Personality, Furham et al. 2004,
Jr of Personality Assessment

EI negatively related to Neuroticism and

Positively with Agreeableness,
Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and
Openness
Emotional Intelligence and Self-
Actualization (Bar-On, R. 2001)EI
Summerfeldt, Kloosterman, Antony, Parker
Jr. of Psychopathology and Behavior Assessment,
Vol. 28, 28, 2006
Summerfeldt, Kloosterman, Antony, Parker
Jr. of Psychopathology and Behavior Assessment, Vol. 28, 2006
Summerfeldt, Kloosterman, Antony, Parker
Jr. of Psychopathology and Behavior Assessment, Vol. 28, 2006
Summerfeldt, Kloosterman, Antony, Parker
Jr. of Psychopathology and Behavior Assessment, Vol. 28, 2006
Low EI and Mental Illness, G.J. Parker,
2001, Book: EI in Everyday Life: A Scientific Inquiry

 Alexilthymia as Low EI
 Alexilthymia and Maladaptive Coping
 Alexilthymia and Psychiatric Disorders
 Low EI and Substance Use Disorders
 Low EI and Eating Disorders
 Low WI Somatoform Disorders
 Anxiety and Depressive Disorders
 Borderline Personality Disorders
 Indian Studies

 Emotional Literacy positively relates to

General Health and Quality of Life
(Pradhan, et al., 2001, Productivity, Vol. 42(3), pp 454-460)
EI moderates the relationships between
Stressful life events and general health.

Pradhan, R.K., et al. (2004). Paper presented in the

National Seminar on ‘Depression’: Causative Factors
and Remedies, 23-27, Oct 2004, Digamber Jain
College, Bagpuat, UP, India
EI negatively associates with ORS.

 Ray, A. , & Mukherjee, D. (2006). Jr of

Industrial Psychiatry, 15 91), 22-25
Jain and Sihna, Int. Jr. of Stress Mgmt,
2005, Vol. 12, No. 3 257-273

 EI promotes General Health,

 Organizational support predicted trust,

assertiveness and positive self concept
dimension of EI.
 EI as predictor of cultural adjustments.
Seyed Amir Jazaeri and S. K. Kiran Kumar. (2008). Psychological Studies,
Vol. 53, No. 1, 83-89 National Academy of Psychology, India

Elizabeth J. Austin a,*, Donald H. Saklofske b, Vincent Egan. (2005) .

Personality, well-being and health correlates of trait emotional intelligence.
Personality and Individual Differences 38 ,547–558
“EI was found to be negatively associated with alexithymia and alcohol
consumption and positively associated with life satisfaction and social
networksize and quality.”

High EI related to decreased psychological distress and to more

adaptive coping and less maladaptive coping.
Campbell, A. & Ntobedzi, A. (2007). Electronic Journal of Applied
Psychology, 3(1), 39-54
 EI in the Long-Term Promotion of
Mental Health?

Diagnosis: For employee & Organisation Counseling,

Stress Mgmt

Treatment: Psycho diagnostic Profiling of people with

medical Problems(i.e. cancer, heart disease &
AIDS)

Prevention: Improving Parenting Techniques, developing

emotionally relevant curriculum for education
 Training of Emotional Intelligence
1. Teaching Life Skills/ Socio-Emotional competencies:
Assertiveness,Self confidence, Decision making, Emotional Self
awareness, Social Skills
2. Health Promotion, Problem Prevention/Risk Reduction Skills:
Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs, Violence, AIDS, STD, Premature Sex
Behaviour, Delinquency, Suicide and Positive Behaviour
3. Conflict Resolution and Coping and social support For Transitions
and Crisis
4. Positive Contributory Services: Within Class and Cross-age
tutoring and Mentoring class room , school, community service,
service as peer mediators , assistance for poor students,
orientation for new students;
 A MODEL OF EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE AND ITS OUTCOMES

Individual Organization Outcomes

Low E I Stress
Emotional Illness
Intelligence Pressure
Conflict
High E I

Health and
Well Being
Training
Performance
and Feed
Productivity
back
Effectiveness
(Pradhan et al., 2008)
Future Research
Thank you for your
kind attention