The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Mental Health, Learning, and Adaptation: A Synthesis of Empirical Evidence

Emotional intelligence (EI) describes a person’s capacity to identify emotions, understand their meaning, manage them appropriately, and use emotional cues to guide behavior in themselves and others. It is a key construct in psychological, educational, and organizational research. This review synthesizes recent empirical studies (2000–2024) examining the associations between Emotional Intelligence and psychological and behavioral variables, such as resilience, stress, life satisfaction, academic motivation, personality traits, metacognitive awareness, and quality of life. Findings across diverse populations, including students, teachers, and medical professionals, consistently indicate that higher EI is positively associated with improved mental health, enhanced stress coping mechanisms, and greater academic and occupational performance. Furthermore, constructs like resilience, self-efficacy, and social support have been shown to play critical intermediary roles in the association between EI and life outcomes. Despite methodological challenges, such as variations in EI measurement tools and discrepancies across models, the accumulated evidence underscores the significant role of EI in adaptive functioning and psychological well-being. The review concludes by discussing theoretical implications and highlighting directions for future research, including the need for longitudinal studies and standardized EI measurement tools.

Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, Stress, Academic Motivation

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