The relation between emotional intelligence, resilience, and burnout in Portuguese individuals
According to the literature, the way through which individuals manage their emotions when faced with challenging situations plays a major role in their personal and professional success and can act as a protective factor against burnout. With the aim of understanding the relationship between the perception of emotional intelligence (EI), resilience (Rs), and burnout syndrome (BS), 1363 individuals aged between 16 and 84 were studied. Of this sample, most of the participants are female, living in the center of mainland Portugal, single, with a degree, employed in the social area, with an open-ended contract, and with a salary of between 1001 and 1500 euros per month. The Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Brief Resilience Coping Scale, and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory were applied in the questionnaire administered to the participants in person and through Google Forms. The results of the bivariate correlation analysis showed positive correlations between EI and Rs, both in the overall values of EI and in their four dimensions; and negative correlations among EI and BS, both in the overall values of EI and BS, in the four dimensions of EI and in the two dimensions of BS, and between Rs and BS, both in the overall values and in the two dimensions of BS. In conclusion, the higher the perception of EI and Rs, the lower the perception of BS, and vice versa. Therefore, the promotion of positive emotional skills is fundamental as a preventive strategy to combat burnout.
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