EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND ACADEMIC STRESS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF COPING STRATEGIES AND THE MODERATING ROLE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT

Abstract

Background: Academic stress remains a pervasive challenge in higher education, often leading to diminished mental health and poor pedagogical outcomes. While Emotional Intelligence (EI) is recognized as a protective resource, the underlying mechanisms specifically how EI translates into stress reduction through behavioral shifts and environmental buffers; remain under-explored. Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional research design with a sample of 520 university students recruited via stratified sampling. Data were collected using validated instruments: the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), the Perception of Academic Stress Scale (PASS), the Brief-COPE, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS AMOS v.26 to conduct Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and path analysis with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Results: The structural model demonstrated an excellent fit (X2/df = 2.14, CFI = .97, TLI = .96, RMSEA = .041). Findings revealed that EI exerted a significant negative direct effect on academic stress (p < .001). Furthermore, adaptive coping strategies partially mediated this relationship, explaining 24% of the variance in stress reduction. Multigroup analysis in AMOS indicated that Perceived Social Support significantly moderated the path between EI and stress, such that the stress-buffering effect of EI was significantly amplified in students reporting high levels of social support. Conclusions: These findings suggest that emotional literacy is not a standalone solution; its efficacy is contingent upon the deployment of specific coping behaviors and the presence of a supportive social environment. Implications for university counseling and policy are discussed.