Emotional Intelligence and Personality Factors in Depressive Patients and Normal Population: A Comparative Study

Emotional intelligence is a collection of potentials like maintaining one's motivation and resisting difficulties, postponing impulsivities, altering one's mood, keeping empathy with others and having hopefulness (Akbarzade, 2004). And personality is a speculative notion involving recognition, emotions, motivations and actions of a person. The present study aims to see the emotional intelligence and depression in depressive patients and normal control, and to observe the relationship between them. Thirty patients with the diagnosis of depression according to ICD-10 DCR were chosen from the outpatient of Mind Plus Clinic, Ludhiana, Punjab. Firstly, with the help of a brief interview with the patients, who were selected for the study, a socio-demographic and clinical data sheet was filled up and then “BDI” was administered to screen the severity of depressive symptoms. After administering BDI, MEII was administered to measure the level of emotional intelligence in patients with depression and normal control and thereafter 16 PF questionnaire was administered to them. Statistical analysis of the data was done through ChiSquare, t-test and Pearson's correlation test. Asignificant correlation was found between emotional intelligence and depression and also emotional intelligence with personality factors. Emotional intelligence is significantly highly correlated with depression.