Self- and other-focused emotional intelligence, situational emotional understanding, and experience of loss

ENThe links between emotional intelligence and loss are under-researched, even though a lot of studies investigated the psychological outcomes of traumatic experiences. Many people suffer multiple losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a loss of job, money, support services, or loved-ones. Loss of a loved one might result in severe psychological trauma, and research suggests that early-life trauma relates to numerous forms of emotion dysregulation, including stress-reactivity. Thus, it is essential to analyze various aspects of loss experience, including the impact on emotional regulation, to reduce the harmful consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this research was to examine emotional intelligence in groups of those who have a recent experience of loss, and those who have not. We have analyzed the results of a simple random sample of gymnasium students (n=362). We hypothesized that the recent loss of a loved one diminishes the ability to understand self and other focused emotions as well as situational emotions. We have also expected identifying emotional intelligence differences in different gender groups. The survey has revealed that respondents who experienced the loss of a loved one understood better how individuals felt in the presented situations than those who did not have such experience. The premise that people who have experienced loss of a loved one have a lower understanding of emotions than their peers who did not have such an experience has not been confirmed. Moreover, the research indicated that males are better able to regulate their emotions than females. Meanwhile, females demonstrated a higher situational emotional understanding: females were better at recognizing emotions, even though they had experienced loss of a loved one.