Effects of an integrated programme of Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence on cognitive strategies of emotional regula

A group (n = 27) of students took part in an eight week Emotional Intelligence (EI) training course, on the basis of Mayer y Salovey (1997) model of EI, which included Mindfulness training that conformed to the recommendations proposed by Kabat-Zinn s (1990) Stress Reduction Programme. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of an integrated programme. In contrast with the control group (n = 22), the experimental group showed decreased levels of anxiety and significant changes in their use of cognitive strategies of emotional regulation using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation (CERQ; Gamefski, Kraaij & Spinhoven, 2001). In particular, participants demonstrated a decreased tendency to blame themselves and others for life s difficulties, and an increase in the use of planning strategies and an increase in their capacity to appreciate positive aspects of their life. In addition, participants showed a reduced number of intrusive thoughts concerning personal problems. The inclusion of Mindfulness training within Emotional Intelligence programmes leads to significant improvements over a short period of time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)