Dimensions of emotional intelligence of doctors in a tertiary care centre in kerala

Abstract

Background: Emotional intelligence (EI) has been defined as “the ability to monitor one's own and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behaviour.” This study was taken up to evaluate EI of doctors which plays a pivotal role in doctor–patient relationship.Objectives: The aim of the study was to study the dimensions of EI of doctors in a tertiary care center in Kerala and to find the association between the EI and its dimensions with the sociodemographic variables. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among doctors in Government Medical College, Thrissur district. The Schutte Self-report Emotional Intelligence Test Scale was used among 70 participants. The total score of the scale ranges from 33 to 165. Selected sociodemographic profile of the participants and the four dimensions of EI were studied. Results: The total EI score obtained was 116.08 ± 14.76, with 95% confidence interval (112.62, 119.53). Nine (12.9%) had good EI, 51 (72.9%) had average EI, while 10 (14.3%) had poor EI. The senior faculty had a higher total EI score as compared to junior residents and interns (P = 0.04). This was the same in the dimension of managing own emotion (P = 0.01). Doctors from the nonclinical department had higher total EI score compared to doctors from the clinical department (P = 0.01). Conclusion: Although the mean total EI score is in bagreeable limits, 10 (14.3%) of the doctors had poor EI, which warrants immediate attention.