Análisis exploratorio de la relación entre ansiedad e inteligencia emocional de estudiantes universitarios cuidadores y no cuidadores durante la pandemia de Coronavirus. Caso: Cuenca, Ecuador

The research examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and anxiety in caregiver and non-caregiver college students during the corona pandemic. Several studies indicate the emergence of mental health risk factors, such as anxiety, during a health emergency. Whereas emotional intelligence could help as a protective factor, it is a question of whether this and other factors differentiate when people act as caregiver. Sixty college students, respectively 28 caregivers and 32 non-caregivers, participated in this study. The research had a descriptive and cross-sectional non-experimental design and used the Wong and Law' Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) and the Hamilton Anxiety scale as instruments for measuring the relationship between anxiety and emotional intelligence. The results showed that no significant differences exist between the group of caregivers and non-caregivers while a significant correlation was found between anxiety and emotional intelligence levels; higher levels of emotional intelligence produce lower levels of psychic anxiety. The findings of this explorative study suggest considering in future research variables such as resilience and uncertainty.