Emotional intelligence, coping strategies, and perceived stress among doctors during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Background: Doctors exhibit significant high stress levels due to an increasing overburdened healthcare system and increased high risk of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the current pandemic. Stress among doctors has been linked with adverse physical and psychological health. Previous research indicates that perceived stress levels are correlated with emotional intelligence (EI) and with the coping strategies employed by doctors. Aims and Objectives: (1) To establish the relationship between perceived stress and emotional intelligence. (2) To evaluate the mediating role of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies in relationship between EI and perceived stress among doctors during the current pandemic. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 600 doctors working in dedicated COVID section of reputed medical college from March 2021 to June 2021 recruited for the study. Participants were recruited on-campus through web-based questioners, composed of three validated questionnaires namely Perceived Stress Scale, Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory, and the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test and socio demographic form. Descriptive statistics were used to test the study hypotheses. Results: Higher EI was associated with lower perceived stress, and this association was partially mediated by both adaptive and maladaptive coping responses. Higher EI was associated with greater use of adaptive coping and lower use of maladaptive coping, and these, in turn, were negatively and positively, respectively, associated with perceived stress. Conclusion: The findings suggest that interventions aimed at increasing emotional intelligence and adaptive coping strategies may help to reduce perceived stress.