Short Research Report: Enhancing mental health and emotional intelligence in Peruvian University students through socioformative strategies

The prevalence of mental health issues among young people, including anxiety, depression, and stress, has risen significantly. This study examines the effectiveness of socioformative strategies in enhancing emotional intelligence and reducing mental health issues in university students. A quantitative, pre-experimental study involved 187 students from one university in Peru with diagnosed mental health issues, utilising the Emotional Intelligence Socio-Formation Scale (EOSF), Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS), and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS). Wilcoxon test analysis revealed significant improvements in emotional intelligence (p = 0.03), depression (p = 0.02), anxiety (p = 0.00), and stress (p = 0.01). These findings show a substantial reduction in mental health symptoms and a 79.68% improvement in emotional intelligence, supporting broader implementation in Peruvian universities. Keywords: university students; socioinformative strategies; educational guidance; emotional intelligence; mental health.