Social support mediates the impact of emotional intelligence on mental distress and life satisfaction in Chinese young adults

In this study, the pivotal role of social support and emotional intelligence (EI) in mental distress and life satisfaction in a sample of Chinese young adults was investigated. The participants were 678 Chinese adults with an age range of 18–35 years. Data were collected by using the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire. Path analysis showed that social support partially mediated the relationship between EI and life satisfaction as well as that between EI and mental distress. Furthermore, a multi-group analysis found that the males with high EI scores are more likely to gain greater social support from others than the female counterparts. Implications for future research and limitations of the present findings are discussed.

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