Emotional Intelligence, Impulsivity and Suicidal Ideation of College Students

Studies have investigated the correlation of suicidal ideations in adolescents with a host of variables like anxiety, depression, alcohol abuse and impulsivity. Despite increasing evidence of the role of emotional intelligence in mental health and social adjustment of the individual, very few studies have examined the specific relationship between emotional intelligence, impulsivity and suicidal ideation. The present study was conducted to explore the relationship among the above three variables. Data were collected on 246 graduate students (122 males and 124 females) from the graduate colleges of Haryana. To measure the above mentioned variables three tools were used i.e. Adult Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire, Emotional Intelligence Scale and Neuroticism subscale of NEOPI-R. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, t-test and regression analysis. Results revealed a significant negative correlation between suicidal ideation and emotional intelligence. Significant gender differences were obtained on impulsivity. Stepwise Regression Analysis revealed that emotional intelligence alone contributed to 34%ofthe variance in suicidal ideation.