The protective effect of emotional intelligence on suicidality: A multiple mediation model among patients with borderline personality disorder

Abstract

The article attempted to study the protective effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on suicidality among patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). A total of 218 participants (consisting of 109 patients with BPD and 109 healthy controls) in Zahedan, Iran, were examined in this cross-sectional study using clinical interviewing and self-report measures of EI, suicidal behaviors, self-esteem, depression, addiction potential, and BPD symptom severity. In the preliminary analysis, the scores of EI and self-esteem were lower, and depression was higher among the BPD group than the healthy controls. Moreover, the results demonstrated that lower levels of self-esteem and EI and higher levels of depression, addiction potential, and BPD symptom severity might be associated with suicidal behaviors among patients with BPD. Our findings also supported the overall hypothesis that EI mediates the effects of self-esteem, depression, addiction potential, and BPD symptom severity on suicidal behaviors among patients with BPD. Accordingly, a high level of EI possibly plays a direct and/or indirect potential preventive and therapeutic role in suicidal behaviors among patients with BPD. However, further longitudinal studies must be carried out to clarify the cause-and-effect relationship among EI, poor mental health outcomes, and suicidal behaviors.