Resilience and socioemotional competences as a preventive factor of anxiety in Mexican women

Introduction: Epidemiologically, women are a vulnerable group when it comes to anxious symptomatology, which is why it is important to identify aspects that can prevent this phenomenon. Socioemotional competences and resilience are considered elements related to a reduced presence of mental health issues, because they help individuals to adapt better to change and environmental demands. Objective: Analyze the interaction between socioemotional competences, resilience and anxiety symptoms in Mexican women. Material and methods: The sample consisted of 350 women aged 18 to 64 years (X¯ = 29.87, D.T. = 13.01) currently living in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara (México). Participants responded the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Resilience Scale for Adults and the Emotional Quotient Inventory. Results: There is a negative correlation between resilience and socioemotional skills with anxious symtomatology; specifically, personal competence, stress management, family cohesion and social competence appeared as predictors of state anxiety. Conclusions: Resilience and stress management are factors that can reduce anxiety in women. Results are discussed and interventions aimed at strengthening socioemotional skills and resilience in female population are suggested.