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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM66979
Volume:
10 |
8 |
Aug 2026
Pages:
1-11
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
Department of Psychology
University of Kerala
Department of Psychology
University of Kerala
Department of Psychology
University of Kerala
Department of Psychology
University of Calicut
Department of Psychology
University of Calicut
Emerging adulthood involves rapid changes in education, identity, relationships, autonomy, and future roles. These transitions make adaptive emotional functioning particularly relevant to mental health. Emotional intelligence (EI) may support positive mental health by facilitating emotional awareness, understanding, regulation, interpersonal functioning, and coping. This study examined the association between EI and positive mental health among emerging adults and tested differences by age, sex, educational qualification, and place of residence. A cross-sectional correlational design was used with 200 emerging adults aged 18–25 years. Mental health was assessed using the Mental Health Status Scale and EI using the Emotional Intelligence Inventory. Pearson’s correlations and independent-samples t tests were used. The results show that EI was positively associated with mental health, r(198) = .323, p < .001. Participants aged 21–25 years reported higher mental health, t(198) = 2.00, p = .047, d = 0.28, and EI, t(198) = 3.21, p = .002, d = 0.46, than those aged 18–20 years. Postgraduates reported higher EI than undergraduates, t(198) = 2.08, p = .039, d = 0.30, but did not differ in mental health. Gender and residence differences were not significant. EI is a meaningful correlate of positive mental health in emerging adulthood. Modest age and educational differences suggest possible developmental and experiential contributions to emotional competencies; however, longitudinal and intervention research is required before causal conclusions are warranted.
KEYWORDS
Emotional intelligence is positively associated with positive mental health in emerging adults. Participants aged 21–25 years reported higher EI and slightly higher mental health than those aged 18–20 years, while postgraduates reported modestly higher EI than undergraduates did. Sex and place of residence were not significantly associated with either of the outcomes. The corrected statistical results provide a coherent evidence base and strengthen the internal rigor of this manuscript. EI appears to be a meaningful psychological correlate of adaptive functioning during emerging adulthood; however, its causal role remains unclear. With the verification of the original scale scoring, raw data analyses, and ethics documentation, this study can make a focused contribution to the literature on emotional competencies and mental health in an underrepresented cultural context.
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Publication Date
8/27/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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