The mediating effects of adaptive coping and sleep quality in the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and trauma outcomes.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Social and Education Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon.
- 2Department of Personality Psychology, Assessment, and Psychological Treatment, School of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
- 3Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
- 4Science, Technology and Society Research Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, Madrid, Spain.
- 5Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon. [email protected].
Abstract
Objective
Response to trauma varies from post-traumatic distress (PTS) to post-traumatic growth (PTG) seemingly depending on internal and external individual resources. This study examines the relationships among trait Emotional Intelligence (trait EI), sleep quality, adaptive coping, and differential outcomes of trauma, namely PTS and PTG, in adolescents exposed to collective chronic adversities, including the health pandemic and sociopolitical instability.Methods
This cross-sectional study involved 612 high school students (323 women) aged between 14 and 21 (M = 16.44, SD = 1.25) from Lebanese public schools. Measures assessed trait EI through the (TEI-QUE), adaptive coping (Brief-COPE), post-traumatic stress (PCL-5), sleep quality through the Sleep Quality Assessment, and post-traumatic growth (PTGI-SF). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was performed with robust estimators.Results
Trait EI directly and indirectly associated with PTS and PTG. We found positive relationships between trait EI and adaptive coping (β = 0.58, p < .001) and trait EI and sleep quality (β = 0.37, p < .001), and between adaptive coping, and both PTS (β = 0.46, p < .001) and PTG (β = 0.43, p < .001). In addition, we found negative relationships between sleep and PTS (β = - 0.1, p < .05) and PTG (β = - 0.15, p < .001). The pathways involving adaptive coping and sleep quality were significantly associated with both PTS (β = 0.23, p < .001) and PTG (β = 0.19, p < .001), respectively, in relation to trait EI.Conclusions
Findings indicate that trauma outcomes are associated with trait EI, adaptive coping strategies, and sleep quality. The study advocates for the integration of these evidence-based cognitive and behavioral trainings in educational programs designed for adolescents in high-risk environments.
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BibTeX
@article{khourymalhame2026mediating,
title = {{The mediating effects of adaptive coping and sleep quality in the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and trauma outcomes.}},
author = {Myriam El Khoury-Malhame and Maria-Jose Sanchez-Ruiz and Roni Chaaya and Chloé Mechleb and Ramón-Iker Soria-Royuela and Rita Doumit},
journal = {Discover mental health},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1007/s44192-026-00555-9},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42897322},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The mediating effects of adaptive coping and sleep quality in the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and trauma outcomes.
AU - Myriam El Khoury-Malhame
AU - Maria-Jose Sanchez-Ruiz
AU - Roni Chaaya
AU - Chloé Mechleb
AU - Ramón-Iker Soria-Royuela
AU - Rita Doumit
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Discover mental health
DO - 10.1007/s44192-026-00555-9
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42897322
AB - Objective Response to trauma varies from post-traumatic distress (PTS) to post-traumatic growth (PTG) seemingly depending on internal and external individual resources. This study examines the relationships among trait Emotional Intelligence (trait EI), sleep quality, adaptive coping, and differential outcomes of trauma, namely PTS and PTG, in adolescents exposed to collective chronic adversities, including the health pandemic and sociopolitical instability.Methods This cross-sectional study involved 612 high school students (323 women) aged between 14 and 21 (M = 16.44, SD = 1.25) from Lebanese public schools. Measures assessed trait EI through the (TEI-QUE), adaptive coping (Brief-COPE), post-traumatic stress (PCL-5), sleep quality through the Sleep Quality Assessment, and post-traumatic growth (PTGI-SF). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was performed with robust estimators.Results Trait EI directly and indirectly associated with PTS and PTG. We found positive relationships between trait EI and adaptive coping (β = 0.58, p < .001) and trait EI and sleep quality (β = 0.37, p < .001), and between adaptive coping, and both PTS (β = 0.46, p < .001) and PTG (β = 0.43, p < .001). In addition, we found negative relationships between sleep and PTS (β = - 0.1, p < .05) and PTG (β = - 0.15, p < .001). The pathways involving adaptive coping and sleep quality were significantly associated with both PTS (β = 0.23, p < .001) and PTG (β = 0.19, p < .001), respectively, in relation to trait EI.Conclusions Findings indicate that trauma outcomes are associated with trait EI, adaptive coping strategies, and sleep quality. The study advocates for the integration of these evidence-based cognitive and behavioral trainings in educational programs designed for adolescents in high-risk environments.
SN - 2731-4383
ER -