Assessing the Level of Emotional Intelligence Among Medical Students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a key determinant of professional competence, interpersonal communication, and psychological well-being in the medical field. Among medical students, EI supports empathy, effective communication, and stress management. However, researchers have found limited data on EI levels among medical students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the level of EI among MBBS students in KP, Pakistan, and to examine its association with selected demographic variables. Participants from all academic years were recruited using convenience sampling. EI was assessed using the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT). Demographic variables included age, gender, year of study, and history of psychiatric illness. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26.0, and associations between EI and demographic variables were tested. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

A total of 376 students participated; 234 (62.2%) were female, and 142 (37.8%) were male. Of these, 303 (80.6%) were from 11 public and 73 (19.4%) from 10 private medical colleges. The mean EI score was 123.14 ± 13.12. Female students had significantly higher overall EI scores than males (123.63 ± 13.32 vs. 120.66 ± 15.28; p = 0.048) and scored higher in empathy/social skills (p = 0.003) and self-motivation/adaptability (p = 0.003). The majority of participants had moderate (44.2%) and high (54.5%) levels of EI, and 1.3% had low EI; there were no significant differences by type of institution and year of study.

CONCLUSION

Medical students in KP demonstrated moderate to high levels of EI. Female students had significantly higher EI scores, particularly in empathy and adaptability. No significant differences were observed based on institution type or year of study. These findings support integrating EI training into medical curricula.