Experiencing symptoms of depression among students studying medical-related courses: does emotional intelligence matter?

Abstract

Background: Students experiencing symptoms of depression at intervals has become a common occurrence in our campuses; however, the influence of emotional intelligence (EI) in resolving this distress cannot be overemphasised but yet attracted little attention from researchers.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate symptoms of depression and its relationship with EI among students studying medical-related courses at College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.

Design: This cross-sectional survey adopts an accidental sampling technique to select five hundred and sixty-five students. The mean age of the students was 24.72 ± 4.55 (SD) years old.

Outcome Measure: Trait Meta Mood Scale (TMMS) was used to assess emotional intelligence, while the Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) was used to measure depression.

Results: There was an inverse relationship between experiencing symptoms of depression and EI among students studying medical-related courses [r(1903) = -.63, p < 0.5]. This indicates that high EI in an individual is a protective factor in experiencing symptoms of depression. Further analysis between depressive symptoms and the three dimensions of EI (emotional clarity, attention and repair) revealed an inverse relationship.

Conclusions: Given that individual ability to avoid experiencing symptoms of depression depends on the person’s predisposition to manage emotion in terms of paying attention, understanding and regulating his/her emotional states. It is therefore recommending that programmes on EI should be incorporated as part of academic activities for students studying medical-related courses.