Personality and mental health: the moderator role of emotional intelligence

This study analyze the role of emotional intelligence (EI) [attention to feelings (AF), emotional clarity (EC) and emotional repair (ER)] in the relationship between personality and mental health. The sample is composed of a total of 232 students of degree in early childhood and elementary education. The results show that neuroticism (N), agreeableness (A), attention to feeling (AF) and emotional repair (ER) are key to preventing stress, anxiety and depression. Emotional Clarity (EC) in stress and depression, and extraversion (E) and consciousness (C) in depression. Moreover, when the moderating role of EI in the relationship between personality traits and mental health was analysed, the results showed that he role of EI by itself does not buffer the detrimental effects of neuroticism (N) on mental health. EI might be more beneficial to the mental health of women with personality traits of extraversion (E), openness (O) and consciousness (C), and men with agreeableness (A) personality trait. Although these data are inconclusive, and more studies are needed to examine these relationships