A STUDY OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND RELIGIOSITY AMONG MUSLIM STUDENTS

Abstract

This research explored the relationships between mental health, emotional intelligence and religiosity of Muslim students. 382 students (273 females and 109 males) from higher education institutions participated in the study through a random sampling method. These students belonged to both Muslim majority (majorly from Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Gambia, Pakistan, GCC) and Muslim minority countries (majorly from India, Ghana, United States). General Health Questionnaire (Goldberg & Hillier, 1979), Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (Schutte et al., 1998) & IIUM Religiosity Scale (Mahudin, Noor, Dzulkifli, & Janon, 2016) were adapted and used. Results indicated that, there was no significant difference in the religiosity and emotional intelligence of males and females or between students from Muslim majority and Muslim minority countries. However, religiosity and emotional intelligence were lower in the students from non-Islamic Institutes compared to the students from the Islamic Institutes and in students from the younger age group compared to the students from the older age group. At the same time, there was no significant difference in the mental health of the students between the various categories. In the vast majority of groups, there was a negative but significant correlation between emotional intelligence and mental health (psychological distress). A positive and significant correlation was found between emotional intelligence and religiosity across all categories. A negative but significant correlation was also found between mental health (psychological distress) and religiosity across all the groups. The findings of the study indicate that religiosity and emotional intelligence is high in Muslim students which can aid in maintaining good mental health. Religiosity and EI can be used as an intervention in clinical settings to alleviate the psychological distress in students.