The Protective Role of Emotional Intelligence in Self-Stigma and Emotional Exhaustion of Family Members of People with Mental Disorders

Rubén Trigueros, Noelia Navarro, Adolfo J. Cangas, Isabel Mercader, José M. Aguilar-Parra, Josefa González-Santos, Jerónimo J. González-Bernal and Raúl Soto-Cámara
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Rubén Trigueros: Department of Psychology, Hum 878 Research Team, Health Research Centre, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Noelia Navarro: Department of Psychology, Hum-760 Research Team, Health Research Centre, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Adolfo J. Cangas: Department of Psychology, Hum-760 Research Team, Health Research Centre, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Isabel Mercader: Department of Psychology, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
José M. Aguilar-Parra: Department of Psychology, Hum 878 Research Team, Health Research Centre, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Josefa González-Santos: Department of Health Sciences, Cavidito Research Team, Health Research Centre, University of Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain
Jerónimo J. González-Bernal: Department of Health Sciences, Cavidito Research Team, Health Research Centre, University of Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain
Raúl Soto-Cámara: Department of Health Sciences, Cavidito Research Team, Health Research Centre, University of Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-10

Abstract: Parenting a child or teenager is not particularly easy for parents, and this becomes even more difficult if a child has a serious mental disorder. This situation places parents in a vulnerable position that leads to heightened feelings of guilt and emotional stress. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the families’ emotional intelligence on their own self-stigma and burnout. A total of 537 family members from Southern Spain who care for individuals with mental disorders participated in this study. To analyze the results of the study, a structural equation model was constructed. The results from the equation showed that emotional intelligence is negatively related to self-stigma and burnout. In turn, self-stigma is positively related to burnout syndrome. Thus, the findings indicate that emotional intelligence may have a protective role against self-stigma, which is closely related to burnout syndrome. The relevance of these results when designing interventions that work with the negative feelings produced by self-stigma and family burnout is discussed.

Keywords: emotional intelligence; self-stigma; burnout; caregiver; mental health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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