Association of Resilience, Internship Preparedness, Coping-styles, and Religiosity with Emotional Intelligence among Medical Interns

A BSTRACT Context: Emotional intelligence (EI) is essential for healthcare professionals. Higher levels of EI contribute to improved well-being for both doctors and patients, enhance patient safety, and strengthen teamwork in healthcare settings. However, research on EI among medical interns remains limited. Data on the factors influencing EI can pave the way to improve EI among medical graduates. Aims: This study aimed to assess the EI levels of medical interns and identify significant factors influencing it. Settings and Design: Conducted as a nationwide cross-sectional study, it involved newly appointed medical interns at 17 randomly selected Malaysian hospitals accredited for intern training between January and April 2020. Subjects and Methods: Participants were invited to complete an online questionnaire, which included the USM emotional quotient inventory for measuring EI, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale-10 for resilience, the Brief-COPE for coping styles, the Preparedness for Hospital Practice Questionnaire for internship preparedness, the Duke University Religion Index for religiosity, and questions on sociodemographic data and undergraduate training. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 25 through simple and multiple linear regression. Results: The study found that resilience, internship preparedness, approach-style coping, and religiosity were positively associated with EI, whereas avoidant-style coping was negatively linked to it. The adjusted R 2 = 67.6% confirmed the robustness of the regression model. Conclusions: Several modifiable factors influence EI among medical interns, such as specific coping styles, providing insights for medical educators to develop programs aimed at enhancing EI in future medical professional.