Trait Emotional Intelligence, Social Support and Mental Health of Criminals and Non-Criminals: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Present study was conducted to find out the difference between the criminals and noncriminals on the trait emotional intelligence, social support and mental health. Furthermore, it also aimed to find out the relationship between emotional intelligence, social support and mental health among criminals and non-criminal. For this purpose the 200 participants (out of which 100 were convicted criminals from Central jail, Gujrat and 100 were non-criminals from Bahria university, Islamabad campus) were taken. The trait emotional intelligence questionnaire short form (TEIQue-SF) by Salman, et al (2014) was used for assessment of trait emotional intelligence, social support was assessed through the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (Zimet, et al, 2012) and mental health with symptom checklist-90 by Nadia & Tahir (2017). It was hypothesized that the trait emotional intelligence and social support is high among non-criminals as compared to criminals. The mental health (psychological issues) are high among criminals as compared to criminals. It was also hypothesized that there is a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and social support among criminals and noncriminals. It was also hypothesized that there is a negative relationship of mental health (issues) with social support and trait emotional intelligence among criminals and non-criminals. Results indicated that the emotional intelligence and social support (family, friends and significant others) is statistically significantly high among non-criminals as compared to criminals, whereas the psychological symptoms (hostility, OCD, depression, anxiety, phobia, interpersonal sensitivity, psychoticism and somatization) are high among criminals as compared to noncriminals. For criminals, there’s a statistically significantly positive correlation between emotional intelligence and psychological symptom (obsessive compulsive disorder). Social support (family, friends and significant others) is statistically significantly negatively correlated with psychological symptoms (hostility, depression, phobia, interpersonal sensitivity, OCD, paranoid, anxiety, psychoticism and somatization). For non-criminals, there’s a statistically significantly positive correlation between emotional intelligence and social support (friends, significant others). There’s a statistically significantly negative correlation with social support (family) and with psychological symptoms (depression, phobia, interpersonal sensitivity, OCD, paranoid and anxiety).