G-4029

Emotional Intelligence and Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: An Overlooked Psychological Link — A Cross-Sectional Study

 Zahra Safikhani ¹, Niloufar Emami ¹, Fatemeh Zamani ¹ ℗, Kourosh Shahbazi ¹, Mohammadreza Rezaei-sarpiri ¹, Rahem Rahmati ¹, Masoud Lotfizadeh ² ©   

 
Abstract

Title: Emotional Intelligence and Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: An Overlooked Psychological Link — A Cross-Sectional Study Introduction: Emotional intelligence (EI) facilitates stress management and resilience, while its deficiency may contribute to anxiety disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Considering the impact of OCD symptoms on student well-being, this study explores the association between EI and OCD among university students to improve early detection and mental health outcomes. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study (Ethics code: IR.SKUMS.REC.1403.118) was conducted on 400 students during the 2024–2025 academic year. Participants were selected via stratified random sampling across seven fields: medicine, dentistry, nursing, operating room technology, radiology, midwifery, and public health. Data were collected using demographic questionnaire, Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire based on Bar-On model, and Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI). Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire includes 25 items covering self-awareness, emotion regulation, empathy, and social skills. Scores of 100 or higher indicate high emotional intelligence, 50–99 moderate, and below 50 low. OCI contains 18 items covering six symptom dimensions: washing, checking, ordering, obsessing, hoarding, and neutralizing. Total scores range from 0 to 72, with higher scores indicating greater obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Data were coded and analyzed SPSS version 25 with chi-square tests. Results: The study included students with a mean age of 22.07 ± 2.03 years; 63.4% were female and 36.6% male. Most (97.6%) were aged 18–25, and 33.9% studied medicine. Urban residents comprised 82.3% of participants. The mean Emotional Intelligence (EI) scores were 92.36 ± 9.57 for ages 18–25 and 91.62 ± 8.62 for ages 26–35. Females scored 92.16 ± 9.70, and males scored 92.68 ± 9.28. Urban and rural residents had similar EI scores (92.57 ± 9.00 vs. 93.94 ± 9.28). Medical students had the highest EI (92.92 ± 7.85), and operating room students had the lowest (87.12 ± 14.06). For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), scores were higher in females (45.12 ± 12.57) than males (42.11 ± 16.74). Urban residents scored 45.25 ± 12.27, and rural residents scored 41.02 ± 10.89. The highest OCD scores were in operating room students (51.71 ± 11.67). OCD scores were significantly associated with residence (p = 0.01), emotion regulation (p = 0.01), and sex (p = 0.04). No significant correlation was found between EI and OCD (p = 0.63). Conclusion and Discussion: The findings show that demographic factors, especially sex and residence, influence specific OCD symptom dimensions more than overall emotional intelligence. Psychological distress elements like anxiety and depression mediate this relationship. Emotion-focused therapeutic interventions may reduce symptoms such as rumination and obsessive thoughts by addressing underlying emotional conflicts. Furthermore, differences in emotion regulation and brain systems between OCD and related disorders underscore the need for personalized treatment.

Keywords: Psychology, Emotional–Intelligence, Obsessive–Compulsive–Disorder, Anxiety, Students