title: The mediating role of emotional intelligence between negative life events and psychological distress among nursing students: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have highlighted that negative life events and emotional intelligence are significant predictors of mental health. However, whether emotional intelligence mediates the relationship between negative life events and psychological distress among nursing students have not been given adequate attention.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the relationship among negative life events, emotional intelligence and psychological distress and to examine the mediating role of emotional intelligence in psychological distress among Chinese nursing students.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 467 nursing students who were enrolled in a university in mainland of China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A structured questionnaire was administered from September-November in 2013 to participants who consented to participate in the study. Independent variables were personal variables, emotional intelligence and negative life events. Outcome variable was psychological health. The means and standard deviations were computed. Student's t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed, to test the differences among the demographic characteristics on the psychological distress scores. Pearson correlation analyses and hierarchical regression analyses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Negative life events were positively associated with psychological distress. Emotional intelligence was negatively associated with psychological distress and negative life events. Emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between negative life events and psychological distress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings support the theory of Salovey and his colleagues, and provide evidence for emotional intelligence as a factor that buffers effects of negative life events on psychological distress.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing and Rehabilitation, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, China. Electronic address: panzhang_meta@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Pan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncological Surgery, North China University of Science and Technology Affiliated Hospital, Tangshan, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Chang-Zai
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing and Rehabilitation, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Ya-Ning
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing and Rehabilitation, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Feng-Mei
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing and Rehabilitation, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Chang-Xiang
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing and Rehabilitation, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Xi-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing and Rehabilitation, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei, China.
authors.forename: Qi-Qun
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Chinese nursing students; Emotional intelligence; Negative life event; Psychological distress