Emotional intelligence and perceived stress among students in Saudi health colleges: A cross-sectional correlational study

OBJECTIVES: To date, little knowledge exists about perceived stress or emotional intelligence among Saudi students specialising in health sciences. This study uses sociodemographic factors to assess the correlations and divergences between emotional intelligence and perceived stress among health-science students in Saudi applied health-science colleges. METHODS: The present study adopted a cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design and recruited a convenience sample of 274 nursing and paramedic students. The participants were invited to complete a self-report questionnaire, which covered demographic factors, emotional intelligence (the MindTools test), and perceived stress (the Perceived Stress Scale). RESULTS: Almost all participants (97.1%) had average-to-high levels of emotional intelligence (mean = 50.58 in a 15–75 ranged scale); this was particularly true for nursing students and students in their first and third academic years. Overall, the students had a moderate level of perceived stress (mean = 1.75 in a 0–4 ranged scale), with assignments and workload causing the highest levels of stress. A negative non-significant correlation was found between emotional intelligence and perceived stress. CONCLUSIONS: The research findings show that emotional intelligence does not differ significantly by nationality, gender, or specialty satisfaction. The students' gender, nationality, specialty, specialty satisfaction, and academic year were not significantly associated with levels of perceived stress. However, higher (although non-significant) levels of emotional intelligence were associated with lower levels of perceived stress. It is therefore essential to educate health-science students about emotional intelligence and teach them to identify and overcome stressors. Information about emotional intelligence and perceived stress should be incorporated into health-science curricula.