COVID-19 OUTBREAK: MITIGATING ROLE OF COLLEGE STUDENTS' EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND SATISFACTION WITH LIFE

Background: While much of the world's attention is focused on the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on physical health, the virus's psychological impacts must not be disregarded. Therefore, it is important to understand and document the role of emotional intelligence as a mitigating variable in the relationship between psychological distress and life satisfaction. Subjects and methods: This correlational study was carried out with the participation of 483 college students. Their ages ranged from 18 to 31 (X=20.89, Sd=2.27). Results: The hierarchical regression analysis results revealed that both emotional intelligence and psychological distress were statistically significant predictors of the participants' levels of satisfaction with life. Moreover, emotional intelligence was a significant moderator in the relationship between psychological distress and life satisfaction. Conclusion: Researchers and practitioners may find the findings of this study useful in better understanding the role of emotional intelligence in making cognitive assessments of life in the face of hardship.