Exploring emotional intelligence, mood regulation, and reflective coping in a clinical population

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to carry out accurate reasoning about emotions and to use emotions and emotional knowledge to enhance thought (Mayer & Salovey, 1995). This study extends similar investigations into the relationship between EI and Mood Regulation (MR), in particular those affected with mood problems. Furthermore, influence of Experiential Avoidance (EA) and Reflective Coping (RC) was also considered. Ninety-five participants who were currently experiencing some form of mood disorder were recruited through mental health support forums. They completed questionnaires measuring EI, MR, EA, and RC in an online survey. Correlational and multiple regression analyses indicated that overall associations were found between EI and mood MR. However, unlike previous works, an association was found between the personality variable EA and MR. This suggests that clinical interventions aimed at reducing EA may be of a particular benefit to people currently experiencing mood problems.