title: [Emotional Intelligence Index: a tool for the routine assessment of mental health promotion programs in schools].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  After critical examination of several aspects relating to the evaluation of some dimensions of emotional intelligence through self-assessment tools, is described the procedure of construction and validation of an Index for its measurement, conceived only for the routine assessment of health promotion programs mental in schools that include among their objectives the improvement of emotional intelligence specifically "outcome-oriented".
  
  
  METHODS
  On the basis of the two most common international tools, are listed 27 items plus 6 of control, illustrated two Focus Group (FG) of students (face validity). The scale obtained by FG was administered to 300 students, and the results were submitted to factorial analysis (construct validity). It was also evaluated the internal consistency with Cronbach's Alpha and studied concurrent validity with the emotional quotient inventory, a scale of perceived self-efficacy and a stress test rating.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the analysis of FG all the original items were modified, deleted 4, and reduced the encoding system from 6 to 4 levels of Likert scale. Of the 23 items included in the analysis have emerged five factors (intra-psychic dimension, interpersonal, impulsivity, adaptive coping, sense of self-efficacy) for a total of 15 items. Very satisfactory were the results of the validation process of internal consistency (0.72) and the concurrent validity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results are positive. It is obtained in fact the shortest routine assessment tool currently available in Italy which constitutes a real Index, for which compilation are required on average 3 minutes. Is emphasized the characteristic of an Index, and not of questionnaire or interview for clinical use, highlighting the only specific use for mental health promotion programs in schools.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Salute Mentale di Campobasso, ASReM.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Veltro
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Salute Mentale di Campobasso, ASReM.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ialenti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Salute Mentale di Campobasso, ASReM.
authors.forename: Manuel Alejandro
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Morales García
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gigantesco
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012572:School Health Services; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires