Influence of Emotional Intelligence on the Psychological well-being of Psychiatric Nurses at In-Patient Psychiatric Hospitals - Ghana

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the influence of Emotional Intelligence on the Psychological Well-being of psychiatric nurses at in-patient psychiatric hospitals in Ghana. The Trait Emotional Intelligence – Short Form scale by Petrides (2009) was used to measure the Emotional Intelligence of the psychiatric nurses whilst the Psychological Well-being Scale by Ryff (1989) was used to measure their Psychological Well-being. The age range, years of work experience, and the gender of the psychiatric nurses were tested to determine their influence on the relationship between their Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Well-being. The results of the study revealed that psychiatric nurses from Accra, Pantang, and Ankaful Psychiatric Hospitals have moderate Emotional Intelligence and moderate Psychological Well-being. The results also demonstrated a strong relationship between their Emotional Intelligence and their Psychological Well-being. Finally, age range, gender, and years of work experience did not moderate the relationship between their Emotional Intelligence and their Psychological Well-being. It was concluded that there was room for improvement in their Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Well-being since the two variables play tremendous roles in increasing the number of recoveries of patients in psychiatric hospitals. It was recommended that the Ghana Health Service and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana organise training workshops to develop the Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Well-being of psychiatric nurses in Ghana