abstract
British Dental Journal 197, 205 - 209 (2004)
Published online: 28 August 2004 | doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.4811573
Emotional intelligence and stress coping in dental undergraduates — a qualitative study
A K H Pau1, R Croucher2, R Sohanpal3, V Muirhead4 & K Seymour5
- Strong emotions such as frustration, anger and hatred were associated with stress.
- Students whose test scores indicated that they had higher levels of emotional intelligence (EI) used reflection and appraisal, social and interpersonal, and organisation and time-management skills to cope with stress.
- Those with lower EI scores engaged in health damaging behaviours such as smoking, drinking and risk taking.
Abstract
Objective: To explore how dental undergraduates with different levels of emotional intelligence (EI) cope with stress.
Design: Qualitative unstructured depth interviews.
Setting: A dental teaching hospital in the UK, 2002.
Subjects and Methods:Subjects selected from the undergraduate population of a 5-year dental degree course. A questionnaire survey was carried out to determine the EI scores of the subjects. In each year of study, subjects were divided into low and high EI groups at the median score. From each EI group in each year, one male and one female subject were recruited. Data collection Unstructured face-to-face interviews. Data analysis Transcribing, sifting, indexing and charting data according to key themes.
Results: 10 males and 10 females with low and high EI, representing all 5 years of study were interviewed. The experience of stress, expressed in emotional terms, ranged from anger and frustration to hatred. Four sets of coping strategies, adopted at varying degrees according to EI, were identified. High EI students were more likely to adopt reflection and appraisal, social and interpersonal, and organisation and time-management skills. Low EI students were more likely to engage in health-damaging behaviours.
Conclusions: Future research needs to establish whether the enhancement of EI in dental students would lead to improved stress-coping, and better physical and psychological health.
- Lecturer in Dental Public Health, Centre for Oral Biometrics, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, Turner Street, London E1 2AD
- Professor of Community Oral Health, Centre for Oral Biometrics, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, Turner Street, London E1 2AD
- Research Assistant, Centre for Oral Biometrics, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, Turner Street, London E1 2AD
- Research Assistant, Centre for Oral Biometrics, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, Turner Street, London E1 2AD
- Senior Lecturer in Periodontology and Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry, Centre for Oral Biometrics, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, Turner Street, London E1 2AD
Correspondence to: A K H Pau1 e-mail: a.k.pau@qmul.ac.uk