Emotional Intelligence, Interpersonal Relationships and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Young Adults

Abstract

Research study used to investigate the relationship among emotional intelligence, interpersonal relationships & generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults aged 18-30 years in Faisalabad. A sample of 345 young adults participated in the study completing Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIES), the Multidimensional Scale of perceived social support (MSPSS), and the Generalized Anxiety Scale (GAD-7). Correlational analyses revealed significant positive associations between overall emotional intelligence and its sub dimensions, supporting the construct validity of the EI measure. Emotional intelligence was positively associated with perceived social support, particularly family and friend support. In contrast, emotional intelligence showed a significant negative relationship with generalized anxiety symptoms, indicating that individuals with higher emotional intelligence reported lower levels of anxiety. suggesting their potential protective role against anxiety. Hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that emotional intelligence significantly predicted GAD symptoms, explaining 3% of the variance. The addition of family support in the second step significantly improved the model, increasing the explained variance to 7.8%. The study shows the significance of emotional intelligence and support system to foster psychological wellness among young adults in collectivist societies like Pakistan.