Exploring Emotional Intelligence’s Influence on Psychological Well-Being among International Students: The Interplay of Psychological Capital, Academic Engagement, and Social Support

This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and psychological well-being (PWB) among international students in China. We specifically examined the mediating effects of psychological capital (PsyCap) and academic engagement, as well as the moderating effect of social support. A moderated mediation model was evaluated using a sample of 443 participants. The results suggested that there was a significant positive relationship between students' EI and their PWB. The serial multiple mediation model revealed that the indirect associations of EI with PWB through PsyCap and academic engagement were statistically significant. Moreover, the findings revealed that social support moderated all correlations between study variables, with the exception of EI and academic engagement, and that the strength of these connections increased with greater levels of social support. The present findings provide important insights into how to enhance the overall well-being of international students.