Literature Review of Emotional Intelligence and Mental Health

Abstract

The aim of this review paper is twofold: This paper reviews the concept of emotional intelligence and related terms such as emotion, intelligence, and emotional intelligence. A distinction will also be made between the different models of emotional intelligence, the one that emphasizes mental ability from those that combine mental abilities with personality traits. This paper maintains that the Mayer and Salovey definition of emotional intelligence lends itself to be model that can explain the adolescent emotional intelligence: that emotional intelligence as an ability to understand and regulate one's emotions is an ability that can be learned and improved; that with age, an individual's level of emotional competency progresses. The second aim of this review is to show and examine the existing literature on the relationship of emotional intelligence and mental health. Specifically, this paper reviews the literature on the relationship between emotional intelligence and anxiety; relationship between emotional intelligence and depression; relationship between emotional intelligence and resilience; and relationship between emotional intelligence and self-efficacy. This paper contends that emotional intelligence is negatively predicts anxiety and depression; and positively predicts self-efficacy and resilience.