Background: Healthcare delivery inherently involves high-strain social environments that require continuous emotional labor and complex social-cognitive adaptation. Drawing upon social-psychological models of stress-buffering and socio-emotional regulation, this study empirically investigated the relationships between Emotional Intelligence (EI), psychological distress, and Quality of Life (QoL) among hospital personnel.
Aims: The research evaluated three core empirical hypotheses: (1) EI enhances stress adaptation and individual resilience; (2) EI functions as a protective factor against psychological distress; and (3) higher EI directly predicts superior professional QoL.
Methods: A cross-sectional design evaluated a probability sample of N=250hospital professionals (82.8% female; M_"age" =41.9±10.5years) across diverse clinical roles. Validated psychometric instruments were utilized: the NHS Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, the Kessler K10 Scale (distress), and the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL).
Results: Psychometric data revealed robust baseline socio-emotional functioning, marked by high self-awareness (M=38.9) and interpersonal empathy (M=36.7), alongside moderate psychological distress (M=30.2) and secondary traumatic stress (M=30.6). Bivariate analyses confirmed strong internal consistency across EI subscales (r=0.79"--" 0.84,p<0.01). Bivariate correlations verified that higher EI significantly inversely predicted psychological distress (r=-0.52,p<0.01) and occupational burnout (r=-0.49,p<0.01), while positively predicting overall QoL (r=0.58,p<0.01). Additionally, primary social support structures (indexed by marital status) yielded statistically significant protective effects on self-awareness and distress mitigation (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The empirical evidence confirms that emotional intelligence serves as a crucial socio-cognitive resource against systemic occupational strain. Institutional interventions designed to cultivate socio-emotional competencies and strengthen supportive workplace environments represent scientifically validated strategies to attenuate compassion fatigue, mitigate burnout, and sustain professional well-being in healthcare organizations.