Emotional Intelligence: A Predictor Of Psychological Adjustment To Anxiety And Depression Among Nigerian Adolescents

Abstract

This study assessed emotional intelligence as a predictor of psychological adjustment to anxiety and depression among Nigerian adolescents. Five hundred (500) adolescents drawn from 10 Senior Secondary Schools participated in the study. The participants were drawn through a multi-stage sampling procedure from the South Western States of Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Osun and Oyo states. Three research instruments used to collect data for this research were; Trait Meta- Mood Scale (TMMS) Behaviour Assessment System for Children (BASC) and General Mental Health Status (GMHS). The instruments were administered twice tagged Time1 and Time2. The three research questions were raised to guide the study. Data analysis techniques employed include descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Hierarchical Regression Analysis. The results obtained from the study indicated that adolescents with high scores in attention to feelings and low scores in emotional clarity and repair have poor psychological adjustment which indicates high levels of anxiety, depression and social stress and suggests low level of mental health. The results of the study indicate that attention to feelings and emotional repair significantly predicted adolescents’ psychological adjustment. The findings of the study thus confirm emotional intelligence as a unique predictor of adolescents’ psychological adjustment. The implication of the finding is that emotional intelligence could serve as a therapeutic measure to prevent mal-adjustment and related emotional problems.

Keywords: Emotional intelligence; Psychological Adjustment; Anxiety; Depression; Adolescent