Emotional intelligence and psychological well-being of university students with physical disabilities in Pakistan

In this article we explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and the psychological wellbeing of students with physical disabilities attending university in Pakistan. We discover a dearth of literature about the needs of students with disabilities, which justifies our focus on social emotional and mental health needs. The participant sample comprises 17 students who identify as having a physical disability. We employ the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (2002) and the Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (2007) to gain an understanding about participants emotional intelligence, social ability and psychological well-being. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation is used for data analysis and preliminary results show that emotional intelligence is significantly and positively linked with psychological well-being. Interestingly, findings reveal some differences in the distribution of emotional intelligence between males and females, however, the distribution of social and psychological well-being is similar for both sexes. In addition, environmental and psychological factors to affect mental health and social ability are uncovered. The results of our study may lead to further in-depth research about the needs of students with a disability and the social emotional and mental health needs of those attending Pakistani Universities. Keywords: social emotional and mental health needs (SEMH), emotional intelligence, psychological well-being, students with physical disabilities, Pakistan.