A Study on the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Mental Illness Stigma

A Study on the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Mental Illness Stigma by E. Nicole Armstrong MS, Walden University, 2011 BS, Brigham Young University, 2009 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Clinical Psychology Walden University August 2015 Abstract Stigmatizing mental illness involves negative perceptions or attitudes about mental illness and the individuals who have mental illness, generating problematic consequences for both the general population and for people with mental illness. The theory of multiple intelligences proposes that intelligence includes skills and abilities in any area; emotionalStigmatizing mental illness involves negative perceptions or attitudes about mental illness and the individuals who have mental illness, generating problematic consequences for both the general population and for people with mental illness. The theory of multiple intelligences proposes that intelligence includes skills and abilities in any area; emotional intelligence (EI), therefore, includes an individual’s ability to identify, interpret, and regulate emotions and emotional responses. This study was designed to evaluate level of familiarity with mental illness as a potential predictor for stigmatizing mental illness, to assist in evaluating the relationship between stigmatizing mental illness and EI. The study was specifically designed to determine whether having higher EI is associated with a decreased likelihood to stigmatize mental illness, and whether increased familiarity is associated with greater EI and a decreased likelihood to stigmatize mental illness. It used bivariate correlations and hierarchical regression analyses, respectively, using data collected from a demographic questionnaire, the TEIQue-SF, the AQ-27, and the LOF. The target population consisted of emergency department (ED) staff (N = 43). Findings suggested that EI and mental illness stigma are correlated (r = -.514, p < .001) and that there is a significant interaction between EI and level of familiarity with mental illness (R 2 = .269, F(3, 38) = 4.653, p = .007). ED staff are on the frontline of healthcare and serve as a gateway to systems of care and treatment; as a result, this study’s findings are important and are intended to inform healthcare and stigma-combating organizations of factors that can improve the sensitivity and quality of care for individuals with mental illness who admit to healthcare systems. A Study on the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Mental Illness Stigma by E. Nicole Armstrong MS, Walden University, 2011 BS, Brigham Young University, 2009 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Clinical Psychology Walden University August 2015 Dedication To my dear ones, especially my best friend and e-parentals: thanks for all the hugs, love, and laughs as I pushed through this! Thanks for asking questions, for listening to my geeky worries, and for laughing at my dissertation comics. I wouldn’t be who I am without you, and I am so grateful for all you’ve done for me. I love you! To Team Smith, where I first got hooked on research. Thanks for all the support on those early steps. And to anyone who needs a reminder of miracles. This project was a result of a long string of accumulating miracles and tender mercies. Believe it! Acknowledgments Special thanks to Dr. Anne Morris, who stuck with me on this and helped me think through all the sticky spots. Thanks for your patience with all my questions and for encouraging me to think about the end goal and the future possibilities. I am very grateful that you agreed to be my Chair. Thank you for the sideline ideas that sparked random creations, too! Thanks to Dr. T.C. Copper, for the edits and feedback that helped me get through this, and for laughing at my comics. Thanks to Dr. Heretick, for pushing my proposal’s conceptualization to make this come together so well. And thanks to the targeted organization and participants, as well as the countless others who have been involved in every step I have taken from beginning to end with this dissertation.