The significance of emotional intelligence in academic stress, resilience, and safe transition from high school to university: An SEM analysis among Northern Emirati university students

Abstract

Background

Emotional intelligence and resilience empower students in the academic settings to face and overcome the challenges that comes with demanding academic tasks and social pressure.

Objective

This study aimed to examine the role of emotional intelligence in managing academic stress, fostering resilience, and supporting the transition experience among Northern Emirati students in health sciences. Additionally, it sought to assess whether factors such as GPA are related to EI, stress, and resilience levels.

Methods

A cross-sectional, descriptive survey design was used, with data collected from 230 second -year students at RAK Medical and Health Sciences University. The questionnaire included sections on sociodemographic data, the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and the Student Stress Inventory - Stress Manifestations (SSISM). Data analysis involved descriptive statistics in SPSS version 29, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for relational insights, and regression analysis in R to evaluate the predictive influence of EI on stress and resilience.

Results

Regression analysis indicated that EI significantly predicted resilience and stress levels, with GPA showing an additional positive relationship to EI and resilience. Regression analysis indicated that EI significantly predicted resilience (β = 0.52, p < 0.001) and stress levels (β = −0.33, p < 0.001). GPA exhibited a positive relationship with resilience (r = 0.29, p < 0.05) and well-being (r = 0.45, p < 0.001). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) confirmed a well-fitting model (Chi-Square/DF = 2.879, RMSEA = 0.108, CFI = 0.785, TLI = 0.846). The path coefficients demonstrated that well-being had the strongest influence on GPA (β = 0.452, p < 0.001), while stress had a minimal but non-significant impact (β = 0.087, p = 0.107).

Conclusions

The findings suggest that emotional intelligence is a significant factor in helping health sciences students manage academic stress and foster resilience. These results highlight the potential benefit of EI development programs to support students during key academic transitions. However, the study's cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data suggest that further longitudinal research is needed to confirm these findings.