Emotional Intelligence and Mental Health among Youth of Armed Violence Affected and Non-affected Area

Abstract

From the first recorded historical documents we are aware of the human tendency to violence as a means of resolving conflict. The quest for discovering evermore destructive technologies is also an ongoing feature of human history. Emotional intelligence is emerged as a dynamic construct that influenced by diverse biological, psychological, and social factors and appearing as an important factor in the prediction of personal, academic and career success as well as mental health. Empirical studies investigated the relationship of emotional intelligence with numerous psychological and psychosocial factors and revealed its significance in various fields including mental health. The present study is designed to examine the differences between armed violence affected and non-affected youth on mental health and emotional intelligence. In present study, anxiety, depression and hopelessness were taken as indicators of mental health. Sample for study consisted of 200 (100 armed violence affected and 100 non-affected) participants drawn from Baramula district of Jammu and Kashmir, and Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra. The participants were assessed with Emotional Intelligence Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Scale and Beck Hopelessness Scale. Results showed that armed violence affected and non-affected youth differ significantly on hopelessness, a mental health indicator, and emotional intelligence. Discriminant function analysis revealed that influence and persuasion, hopelessness, depression and anxiety are the potent predictors' variables which discriminate between the groups.