Coronary Heart Disease and Emotional Intelligence

BACKGROUND: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is associated with emotions, especially negative ones, namely anxiety and depression. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a psychological model that consists of a variety of emotional skills. AIMS: The aim of the present study was to examine the relation between different dimensions of Emotional Intelligence and coronary heart disease. METHODS: A total of 300 participants were studied during a 3-year period in an attempt to partially replicate and further expand a previous study conducted in Greece among CHD patients, which indicated a strong association between certain dimensions of Emotional Intelligence and the incidence of CHD. All participants completed a self-report questionnaire, assessing several aspects of Emotional Intelligence. FINDINGS: The results showed that there is a link between the regulation of emotions and the occurrence of CHD. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence reported in the present study makes stronger the claim that EI plays a significant role in the occurrence of CHD.