The Relation between Emotional Intelligence and Alcohol Drinking, Cigarette Smoking and Psychiatric Drugs Abuse in Jiroft Universities Students

Emotional intelligence is a kind of emotional information processing which protects individuals against stress and helps them to approach better compatibility and compliance. This study aimed to assess the relation between emotional intelligence and alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking and psychiatric drugs abuse in students’ community. This descriptive study was conducted on 740 students who were selected by cluster random sampling method from Medical, Islamic Azad and National universities of Jiroft in 2013. Data was collected by researcher-made and emotional intelligence (Brad Berry–Graves) questionnaires and were analyzed using t-test, one way ANOVA, chi-square test and logistic regression. Mean and standard deviation of total emotional intelligence was 73.44±10.26 and prevalence of alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking and psychiatric drugs abuse were 13.8%, 10.8% and 5.7%, respectively. Based on t-test, a significant and inverse relation was found between cigarette smoking and psychiatric drugs abuse with total emotional intelligence (p=0.049 and p=0.004, respectively), self-awareness (p=0.003 and p=0.001, respectively) as well as social consciousness (p=0.014 and p=0.001, respectively) subscales, while only observed a significant relation between alcohol abuse and social consciousness subscale (p=0.037). There was a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking and psychiatric drugs abuse. So, development of emotional intelligence can be a good solution to prevent alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking and psychiatric drugs abuse and contribute to individual and community well-being.