Does Emotional Intelligence Mediate the Relation Between Mindfulness and Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents?

Exploring the Effects of Mindfulness on Adolescent Depression-Findings from a Longitudinal Study

Background/Objectives: Adolescence is a critical period for mental health, with depression increasing rapidly and often leading to lifelong consequences. In recent decades, the prevalence of elevated depressive symptoms among adolescents has steadily risen, making it a significant public health concern. While research supports the benefits of mindfulness-based practices in reducing adolescent depressive symptoms, the role of trait mindfulness remains underexplored. Although some studies suggest a link between trait mindfulness and lower depressive symptomatology, a longitudinal perspective could provide deeper insights into this relationship. Given adolescents' heightened vulnerability to mental health issues, understanding the potential causal link between trait mindfulness and depression is crucial for both prevention and intervention efforts. Methods: This study examines the relationship between mindfulness and depression in a three-wave longitudinal study of 1618 secondary school students (Males: N = 671, M = 16.4 years, SD = 0.60; Females: N = 947, M = 16.3 years, SD = 0.65) using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model. Results: Findings indicate that mindfulness and depression share a substantial proportion of variance (r = 0.48) at the stable trait level, suggesting that sustained attentional focus, a hallmark of mindfulness, is consistently associated with fewer depressive symptoms. At the within-person level, momentary deviations from stable mindfulness levels in the first and second waves were linked to lower depressive symptoms in subsequent waves (β = -0.21, p = 0.016; β = -0.44, p = 0.03, respectively). These findings suggest that even temporary increases in mindfulness may provide additional protection against depression. Conclusions: Overall, the results suggest that trait mindfulness is associated with a reduced risk of developing depressive symptoms at both the between-person and within-person levels. Specifically, adolescents with higher stable levels of mindfulness tend to report fewer depressive symptoms over time, and even momentary increases in mindfulness beyond an individual's typical level are linked to reductions in subsequent depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the potential of mindfulness-based interventions in mitigating adolescent depression and underscore the importance of cultivating mindfulness as a protective factor during this critical stage of development.

Emotional intelligence mediates the protective role of the orbitofrontal cortex spontaneous activity measured by fALFF against depressive and anxious symptoms in late adolescence

As a stable personality construct, trait emotional intelligence (TEI) refers to a battery of perceived emotion-related skills that make individuals behave effectively to adapt to the environment and maintain well-being. Abundant evidence has consistently shown that TEI is important for the outcomes of many mental health issues, particularly depression and anxiety. However, the neural substrates involved in TEI and the underlying neurobehavioral mechanism of how TEI reduces depression and anxiety symptoms remain largely unknown. Herein, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and a group of behavioral measures were applied to examine these questions among a large sample comprising 231 general adolescent students aged 16-20 years (52% female). Whole-brain correlation analysis and prediction analysis demonstrated that TEI was negatively linked with spontaneous activity (measured with the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations) in the bilateral medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a critical site implicated in emotion-related processes. Furthermore, structural equation modeling analysis found that TEI mediated the link of OFC spontaneous activity to depressive and anxious symptoms. Collectively, the current findings present new evidence for the neurofunctional bases of TEI and suggest a potential "brain-personality-symptom" pathway for alleviating depressive and anxious symptoms among students in late adolescence.

The effect of perceived stress on organizational silence in emergency service doctors in Turkey: The mediating role of emotional intelligence

Objectives

The purpose of this study is to determine the role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between the stress perceptions of emergency medicine doctors and their organizational silence behaviors.

Methods

Data were collected digitally from 434 doctors working in emergency departments in Turkey. On the assumption that perceived stress was effective on organizational silence behavior and that emotional intelligence mediates this relationship, hypotheses were developed and a mediating effect model was established. The research model and hypotheses were shaped through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Hayes 4th model was used to test the research hypotheses. The research model was tested via SPSS Process v4.1 by Andrew F. Hayes.

Results

According to the correlation analysis to determine the relationship between the variables, it was determined that perceived stress was positively correlated with organizational silence behavior, emotional intelligence was negatively correlated with perceived stress, and emotional intelligence was negatively correlated with organizational silence. As a result of the mediating effect model test, it was determined that emotional intelligence had a statistically significant mediating effect in the effect of perceived stress on organizational silence.

Conclusion

Within the framework of the findings, it is thought that emotional intelligence is a key variable in turning the negative energy between stress and silence into positive.

Creating Inclusive Classrooms for Highly Dysregulated Students: What Can We Learn from Existing Literature?

The ability to self-regulate is a key focus for educators, especially for neurodivergent students, such as those with ADHD, fetal alcohol syndrome, mental health difficulties, autism, and/or anxiety. Students not being able to self-regulate frequently results in their behaviours being labelled as “naughty” or “challenging” by teachers. Continued dysregulation can lead to periods of suspension and exclusion, impacting both attendance rates for students and their broader families. Previous research has shown that the impacts of poor self-regulation can be wide-ranging, spanning both social and academic outcomes. The broad negative impact of poor self-regulation means that it is important to support families and classroom teachers to effectively improve children’s self-regulation. However, to support families and educators, there is a need to develop and deploy a theoretical framework to suggest why self-regulation may be under-developed and, conversely, how self-regulation may be effectively developed across a wide range of contexts. This paper considers current literature exploring the links between individual experiences of emotions and connections with core abilities of interoception, self-regulation, emotional intelligence, and metacognition. It outlines a hypothesised model of how these abilities intertwine and how supporting core building blocks within educational settings can enable supportive and inclusive educational contexts, providing positive experiences for students and teachers alike.

Effectiveness and mechanism of a 4-week online self-help mindfulness intervention among individuals with emotional distress during COVID-19 in China

Background

Many people suffered from emotional distress especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to alleviate emotional distress, more accessible psychological intervention programs, such as online intervention programs, are needed. The study aimed to investigate the efficacy and the potential mechanism of a 4-week, online, self-help mindfulness-based intervention to manage emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic between February 3 and May 20, 2020.

Methods

A total of 302 individuals with high emotional distress completed a self-help mindfulness course, which lasted 30–60 min per day for 28 consecutive days. Participants who registered in the program later were included in the analyses as the control group (n = 315). Levels of mindfulness, perceived stress, emotional distress, anxiety and depression were assessed at baseline(T1), week 1(T2), week 2(T3), week 3(T4) and week 4(T5).

Results

Significant Group by Time interaction effects were found on mindfulness, perceived stress, emotional distress, anxiety and depression (p < 0.001). Compared to the control group, the intervention group had a greater increase in changes of all outcome variables (p < 0.001). Random intercept cross-lagged analyses showed that compared with control group, mindfulness at T2 and T4 negatively predicted stress at T3 and T5, and mindfulness at T2 and T4 negatively predicted depression at T3 and T5 while depression at T3 predicted mindfulness at T4 in the mindfulness group.

Conclusions

The results suggest that a 4-week self-help online mindfulness intervention improved mindfulness and reduced stress, emotional distress, anxiety and depression symptoms. Compared to the control group, changes in mindfulness preceded changes in stress, and mindfulness and depression reciprocally influenced each other during the intervention.

Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2000034539. Registered 9 July 2020—Retrospectively registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=55721&htm=4.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40359-022-00831-7.

The Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence in the Relationship Between School Principals' Sustainable Leadership Behaviors and Diversity Management Skills

The purpose of this research is to examine the mediating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between school principals' sustainable leadership behaviors and their diversity management skills. For this purpose, this research, which was designed in the relational survey model, was carried out on teachers. The data of the study were collected using the "Sustainable Leadership Scale," "Diversity Management Scale," and "Emotional Intelligence Scale." Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, t-test, one-way ANOVA analyses and structural equation model were used in the analysis of the data. As a result of the research, it was found that the school principals' sustainable leadership behavior levels, their ability to manage differences and their emotional intelligence levels were high according to teacher perceptions. According to the correlation analysis, it was found that there is a positive and significant relationship between sustainable leadership, diversity management, and emotional intelligence. In addition, path analyses to examine the mediator variable effect revealed that emotional intelligence has a full mediating role in the relationship between school principals' sustainable leadership behaviors and their diversity management skills. In addition to the research, it was also examined whether teachers perceptions of school principals on sustainable leadership behaviors, diversity management skills, and emotional intelligence levels differ significantly according to teachers' gender, professional seniority, educational status and the level of education they work in. In addition to this, they have shown that they need to use their emotional intelligence effectively.

The relationship between mindfulness and envy: The mediating role of emotional intelligence

Envy is a mixed negative emotion that is characterized by feelings of hostility, inferiority, resentment, and depression. It has been found that mindfulness is negatively associated with envy. This paper aimed to explore the interaction between mindfulness and envy by referring to the mindful emotion regulation model, and it also examines the mediation of emotional intelligence. Six hundred and seventy-six participants (182 men and 494 women) completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the Dispositional Envy Scale, and the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale. Results suggest that mindfulness is significantly and negatively correlated with envy. Meanwhile, a multiple mediation analysis indicated that regulation of emotion and use of emotion partially mediate the impact of mindfulness on envy. The current study not only provides a theoretical basis for possible mechanisms underlying the inhibition of envy, but also provides valuable guidance for developing mindfulness-based intervention programs aiming at reducing the negative effects of envy.

The Relationship Between Proactive Behavior and Work-Family Conflict: A Moderated Mediation Model

This study aimed to explore the linking mechanisms and conditional processes underlying the relationship between proactive behavior and work-family conflict. Considering the conservation of resources theory, we argue that workplace anxiety mediates the relationship between proactive behavior and work-family conflict. Furthermore, we suggest that immediate supervisor perspective taking and employee emotional intelligence moderate this proposed indirect effect. Two-wave, multisource lagged data were collected from 450 employees of seven domestic Chinese firms to examine the hypothesized moderated mediation model. Our findings support the hypothesis that proactive behavior is positively related to work-family conflict and that workplace anxiety partially mediates this relationship. Immediate supervisor perspective taking moderates the positive association of proactive behavior with workplace anxiety and the indirect relationship between proactive behavior and work-family conflict through workplace anxiety. Emotional intelligence moderates the positive association of proactive behavior with workplace anxiety and the indirect relationship between proactive behavior and work-family conflict through workplace anxiety. The results deepen our theoretical understanding of the consequences of proactivity by demonstrating the positive associations between proactive behavior and work-family conflict. The current study also contributes to the literature by identifying workplace anxiety as a mediating mechanism explaining the relationship between proactivity and work-family conflict. Furthermore, supervisor perspective taking and employee emotional intelligence moderate the above mediating effect.

A Novel Artificial Intelligence-Powered Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness App (Ajivar) for the College Student Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Quantitative Questionnaire Study

Background

Emotional intelligence (EI) and mindfulness can impact the level of anxiety and depression that an individual experiences. These symptoms have been exacerbated among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ajivar is an app that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to deliver personalized mindfulness and EI training.

Objective

The main objective of this research study was to determine the effectiveness of delivering an EI curriculum and mindfulness techniques using an AI conversation platform, Ajivar, to improve symptoms of anxiety and depression during this pandemic.

Methods

A total of 99 subjects, aged 18 to 29 years, were recruited from a second-semester group of freshmen students. All participants completed the online TestWell Wellness Inventory at the start and end of the 14-week semester. The comparison group members (49/99, 49%) were given routine mental wellness instruction. The intervention group members (50/99, 51%) were required to complete Ajivar activities in addition to routine mental wellness instruction during the semester, which coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This group also completed assessments to evaluate for anxiety, using the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, and depression, using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).

Results

Study participants reported a mean age of 19.9 (SD 1.94) years; 27% (27/99) of the group were male and 60% (59/99) identified as Caucasian. No significant demographic differences existed between the comparison and intervention groups. Subjects in the intervention group interacted with Ajivar for a mean time of 1424 (SD 1168) minutes. There was a significant decrease in anxiety, as measured by the GAD-7: the mean score was 11.47 (SD 1.85) at the start of the study compared to 6.27 (SD 1.44) at the end (P<.001). There was a significant reduction in the symptoms of depression measured by the PHQ-9: the mean score was 10.69 (SD 2.04) at the start of the study compared to 6.69 (SD 2.41) at the end (P=.001). Both the intervention and comparison groups independently had significant improvements in the TestWell Wellness Inventory from pretest to posttest. The subgroups in the social awareness and spirituality inventories showed significant improvement in the intervention group. In a subgroup of participants (11/49, 22%) where the GAD-7 was available during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in anxiety from the start of the study (mean score 11.63, SD 2.16) to mid-March (ie, onset of the pandemic) (mean score 13.03, SD 1.48; P=.23), followed by a significant decrease at the end of the study period (mean score 5.9, SD 1.44; P=.001).

Conclusions

It is possible to deliver EI and mindfulness training in a scalable way using the Ajivar app during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in improvements in anxiety, depression, and EI in the college student population.

Mindfulness, emotional intelligence and occupational burnout in intensive care nurses: A mediating effect model

AIM(S)

To construct structural equation models to test the mediating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between mindfulness and occupational burnout.

BACKGROUND

Reports assessing the relationships among mindfulness, emotional intelligence and burnout, specifically in ICU nurses, are scarce.

METHODS

This was a descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional research design with 883 ICU nurses enrolled by convenience sampling from 29 ICUs in seven tertiary hospitals in urban areas of Chengdu, China. Mediation analysis was performed by structural equation modelling. Indirect effects were evaluated through bootstrapping.

RESULTS

The associations among mindfulness, emotional intelligence, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment were all significant (p < .001). In the mediation models, emotional intelligence partially mediates the relationships between mindfulness and emotional exhaustion (indirect effect 0.118, p = .006; direct effect -0.374, p = .010; total effect -0.492, p = .011) and between mindfulness and depersonalization (indirect effect -0.182, p = .006; direct effect -0.452, p = .015; total effect -0.633, p = .018). Emotional intelligence plays a total mediating role between mindfulness and personal accomplishment (indirect effect 0.293, p = .004; direct effect 0.119, p = .053).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that nursing manager could implement mindfulness training to improve occupational burnout in ICU nurses.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Nursing managers could help create a more favourable working environment by providing mindfulness training. Such mindfulness training could help improve nursing quality, reduce errors and ensure patient safety, possibly improving patient prognosis and probably satisfaction.

Examining Emotional Literacy Development Using a Brief On-Line Positive Psychology Intervention with Primary School Children

Wellbeing literacy (WL) may be the missing ingredient required to optimally enhance or enable positive psychology intervention (PPI) effectiveness. This study involved Victorian government funded primary schools, including two rural, two regional, and two city schools; participants included 20 classroom teachers and 131 grade five and six primary school students. A brief online PPI was implemented by teachers for 10-15 min, three times per week, for six weeks. This paper examines quantitative data collected pre and post the six week intervention, and qualitative data gathered in week one of the intervention regarding intervention effectiveness. The aim is to examine if a brief online PPI effectively builds intentional emotional vocabulary use, and to discuss how on-line PPIs can be used in public health to improve young people's WL. Considering evaluations of process effectiveness and outcome measures related to student emotional vocabulary use, results tentatively suggest that online PPIs can positively impact emotional vocabulary capability and intentionality. Multimodal communication was exercised during the PPI, suggesting that the brief online PPI format may provide a valuable tool to promote student WL.

Socioemotional Resources Account for Academic Adjustment in Moroccan Adolescents

This study aimed to analyze the relationship of both positive socioemotional resources [emotional intelligence (EI) and social support] and negative states (test anxiety and depression) with academic adjustment, as measured by academic performance and self-concept, among Moroccan adolescents. The participants were 845 students from Morocco (372 boys, 473 girls; mean age 15.58 years; SD = 1.69; range = 13-18) who were attending secondary education (79.8%) or high school. The participants completed a questionnaire that included scales to measure the variables of interest, adapted for and validated in Moroccan adolescents. A multiple mediation serial model with four mediator variables confirmed that academic self-concept was positively and directly predicted by EI, academic performance, and social support, whereas test anxiety and depression had a negative effect. Second, EI predicted self-concept through its indirect effects on test anxiety and academic performance, social support, and depression. EI was the most protective factor. This model has good performance in explaining the variation in test anxiety (1.6%), depression (14.2%), social support (9.5%), academic performance (6.8%), and self-concept (35.7%). This study helps clarify the relationship of positive and negative socioemotional states with the academic performance of adolescents in Morocco. This study contributes to the literature by enhancing knowledge of adolescents in societies that, like Morocco, have a less elaborated tradition at these levels of education and that are considering education in their agenda as a way of enhancing national development and promoting EI to allow youth development in a healthier society.

From Emotional Intelligence to Self-Injuries: A Path Analysis in Adolescents With Conduct Disorder

Objective: Self-harm acts are highly prevalent among adolescents with conduct disorder. It has been shown that low level of emotional intelligence (EI) might be related to a higher risk of self-injuries. However, the exact mechanisms underlying this association are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore whether psychopathological symptoms and selected psychological processes mediate the association between EI and self-harm risk in adolescents with conduct disorders. Method: Out of 162 adolescents with conduct disorder approached for participation, 136 individuals (aged 14.8 ± 1.2 years, 56.6% females) were enrolled and completed the questionnaires evaluating the level of EI, depression, anxiety, impulsiveness, empathy, venturesomeness, self-esteem, and disgust. Results: Individuals with a lifetime history of self-injuries had significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety and impulsivity as well as significantly lower levels of EI and self-esteem. Higher levels of EI were associated with significantly higher levels of self-esteem, venturesomeness and empathy as well as significantly lower levels of depression, anxiety and impulsivity. Further analysis revealed that trait and state anxiety as well as self-esteem were complete mediators of the association between EI and self-harm risk. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that anxiety and self-esteem might mediate the association between EI and a risk of self-injuries in adolescents with conduct disorder. However, a cross-sectional design of this study limits conclusions on the direction of causality. Longitudinal studies are needed to test validity of our model.