Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Order to Reduce Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents' Bullying Victims: A Mediation and Moderation Model

The objective of this study has been to analyze the impact of emotional intelligence (EI), interpersonal difficulties and life satisfaction in the relationship between victimization and suicidal ideation. For this purpose, a total of 898 adolescents responded to the Peer School Victimization Scale, Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale and Suicide Risk Inventory for Adolescents. Results from the mediation analysis revealed how interpersonal EI, interpersonal difficulties and life satisfaction mediated the relationship between bullying victimization and suicidal ideation. Moreover, the moderation analyses revealed that the association between EI and suicidal ideation was moderated by gender and by age. Finally, from the moderated moderation analyses, it was observed how in cases of relational victimization, EI helped to reduce suicidal ideation to a greater degree in students that had never retaken a course than in students with this feature.

Automated summary

The objective of this study was to examine the mediating role of emotional intelligence, interpersonal difficulties, and life satisfaction in the relationship between victimization and suicidal ideation. The results revealed that these factors played a significant mediating role in the association between bullying victimization and suicidal thoughts. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the association between emotional intelligence and suicidal ideation was moderated by gender and age. Additionally, the study found that emotional intelligence had a stronger effect on reducing suicidal thoughts in students who had not retaken a course in cases of relational victimization.