ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Descriptive & Survey Study

Authors

Godarzi   A. (1)
Javidi   H. (*)
Hosseini   S.E. (1)






(*) Department of Psychology, Educational Sciences & Psychology Faculty, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran
(1) Department of Psychology, Educational Sciences & Psychology Faculty, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran

Correspondence

Address: Educational Sciences & Psychology Faculty, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Km 3 of Marvdasht Boulevard, Fars Province, Iran
Phone: +98 (71) 2272120
Fax: +98 (71) 43311172
javidih@hotmail.com

Article History

Received:  July  16, 2017
Accepted:  February 27, 2018
ePublished:  April 25, 2018

BRIEF TEXT


Over the last two decades, prisoners have experience more psychological health problems than normal ‎populations [1]. ... [2]. Emotional intelligence is a multidimensional construct trapping the emotion - cognition ‎interaction that brings about adjustment function [3]. Another construct that is taken into account in the present ‎research is mental health. According to the World Health Organization, mental health is a complete and stable ‎state of psychological well-being, or an absence of mental illness that has a functional and psychosocial ‎dimension. Mental health is one of the important components of public health, creating a balance in life and ‎resistance to problems.‎

‎... [4-6]. The results of a study conducted on three groups (offenders, psychiatric patients, and a control group) ‎showed that the mean emotional intelligence in the control group was more than that in the other 2 groups, but ‎there was no significant difference between the psychiatric patients and the offenders in terms of emotional ‎intelligence. In this study, the dimensions of flexibility, emotional management and expression of emotions in ‎the offender group and psychiatric patients were significantly lower than those in the control group [7].‎

A general overview of the literature on emotional intelligence and mental health shows an inverse relationship ‎between emotional intelligence and symptoms of mental disorders in most cases. Most researches have ‎addressed the role of emotional intelligence in adjustment of individuals. The impact of this feature, under ‎unique prison conditions, on reduction of prisoners’ stress and mental health is of fundamental importance. The ‎present study was an attempt to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and mental health of ‎prisoners.‎

This research is a descriptive-correlational study.‎

This study was conducted on different prisoners in Adelabad prison, Shiraz during 2016.‎

Cochran formula (at 99% confidence level) was used to select 614 individuals through systematic random ‎sampling.‎

The Bradbury-Graves' Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire with Cronbach's Alpha of 0.83 [8] and the ‎Psychometric evaluation of the symptom checklist with Cronbach's alpha of 0.88 were used for data collection ‎‎[9]. After obtaining the general approval of the Naja Research Center in Shiraz and making the necessary ‎coordination with the authorities of the Adelabad Prison in Shiraz, research questionnaires were distributed ‎among the prison population. Before distributing the questionnaires, the research objectives were explained to all ‎participants and people were assured that their information would remain confidential. The relationship between ‎different dimensions of emotional intelligence and psychological disorder were analyzed using Pearson ‎correlation coefficient and simultaneous regression analysis in SPSS 23 software.‎

The mean age of the subjects was 34.77±9.16 years, of which 55% were married, 35% were single and 8% had ‎separated from their spouses. It should be noted that the marital status of 2% of the samples was unclear. 6% ‎were illiterate, 58% had secondary school education and 36% had higher education. Emotional intelligence and ‎mental health were studied using different instruments. The mean value of psychological disorders was ‎‎60.31±17.42 and the mean value of emotional intelligence was 97.22±14.46 (Table 1). General emotional ‎intelligence had a significant negative relationship with symptoms of psychological disorders (r=0.23; p<0.001). ‎There was also a significant negative relationship between different dimensions of emotional intelligence and the ‎symptoms of psychological disorders (p<0.001) (Table 1).‎

‎... [10-12]. The studies on the relationship between components of Emotional- Social. Intelligence and ‎components of mental health shows significant correlations between the components of these two constructs. ‎This correlation holds true for both intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of emotional intelligence. ‎Interpersonal aspects of emotional intelligence lead to enhancements in the quality of social relationships and ‎the intrapersonal aspects play an effective role in regulation of temperament. Both constructs are classified as the ‎factors that affect the mental health of people [13, 14]. The results of a study conducted on the relationship ‎between emotional intelligence and anti-social and aggressive behaviors of students are consistent with the ‎results of the present study [15]. Razel and Cabman [16] also have emphasized on the mediating role of ‎emotional intelligence on inhibition of workplace aggression. Sayo [17] has concluded that low emotional ‎intelligence is correlated with depression and anxiety and that people who are capable of regulating their ‎emotions, experience less depression. Bestain and Berners [18] have realized that high emotional intelligence is ‎correlated with low anxiety. The findings of a study have been conducted by Slaski and Cartwright [19] indicate a ‎positive correlation between emotional intelligence training and enhancement of wellbeing and stress endurance ‎among managers. Bani Hashemi et al. [20] have shown a significant positive correlation between emotional ‎intelligence and general health. The study has been conducted by Rasouli et al. [21] on the air force staff show ‎that there is an inverse negative correlation between emotional intelligence and depression, anxiety and somatic ‎symptom. Beikzad et al. [22] have concluded that there is a significant correlation between emotional ‎intelligence, self-efficiency and mental health of elementary, secondary and high school principals in all the 5 ‎districts of Tabriz. Another study also shows that individuals with high emotional intelligence and internal locus ‎of control have better psychological health [23]. Ruggers et al. [24] have found a significant relationship between ‎the inability to perceive the emotions of others, poor social adjustment, low mental health level. The results of a ‎meta-analysis show that emotional intelligence has a positive and significant relationship with health, that is, ‎high emotional intelligence is correlated with high mean weight, mental health, and physical health [25]. Other ‎studies have also shown that individuals with higher emotional intelligence have significantly higher physical ‎and mental health than those with lower emotional intelligence [26, 27].‎

Consideration of the above-mentioned factors, i.e. the social-economic-cultural differences could provide the ‎ground for future studies. Considering that emotional intelligence, contrary to cognitive intelligence, is both ‎variable and trainable, the prison administrators should give the first priority to provision of educational ‎services and other support services to prisoners in order to increase emotional intelligence (especially ‎relationship management skills) and consider behavioral and functional exercises for prisoners.‎

Among the limitations of this study were the low education level of most of the prisoner. In order to make up for ‎this limitation, the prisoners were assisted by prison staff. Also, in this study, cultural, economic, social, and ‎type of crime were not taken into account, therefore generalization of the results should be made with care.‎

In prison, just like other domains, emotional intelligence could serve as an appropriate instrument for coping ‎with stress and supporting the mental health of individuals. In specific conditions of prison, the relationship ‎management plays a more important role than other aspects of emotional intelligence.‎

This study was conducted with the assistance of authorities, psychologists and Adelabad prison staff and with ‎collaboration of the NAJA Applied Research Center in Shiraz. We also thank the Adelabad Prison staff who helped ‎us throughout this research.‎

The present study is derived from Kargar Shaker’s study, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar branch there are no ‎conflicts of interest in the present research.‎

This research is based on the doctoral dissertation and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Islamic Azad ‎University of Marvdasht. The Completed questionnaires are stored in a safe place at the criminal investigation ‎division of police force.‎

The author conducted the present study without any external financial support.‎

TABLES and CHARTS

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