Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Anxiety among Young Adults

Abstract

Anxiety is not a new term in the academic and social environment for young adults. From examination anxiety to adjustment problems at higher school, university, and workplace, anxiety has many adverse effects on young adult performance and mental health. Emotional intelligence provides us the ability to deal effectively with mental abnormality and anxiety in a different environment. At the university level, there were young adults of different social, cultural, and economic strata, so the university or workplace environment has a different impact on their level of affiliation and interaction. The present study aims to find out the relationship between these two constructs among young adults. Emotional intelligence level measured by the Kumar, A. I Narain, S. Emotional Intelligence Scale EIS-SANS, National Psychological Corporation (2014). The construct of anxiety level is measured by the Hamilton M. The assessment of anxiety states by rating. Br J Med Psychol 1959; 32:50–55. Two hundred and fourteen (n = 214) young adults from different parts of India constitute the sample of this study out of 214 respondents, 127 males and 87 females respondents between the age range of 20 and 40 years. The collected data were analyzed ANOVA and correlation through SPSS (Version 26). The results revealed that there is a fragile association between emotional intelligence level and level of anxiety; results revealed that there is a negative correlation between emotional intelligence and anxiety (r = −0.061, P < 0.05). The findings of this study have established that there is a significant difference between emotional intelligence and anxiety across gender of young adults, and male respondents had a better emotional intelligence which helps them to cope up with anxiety, female respondents, slightly behind in such conditions