Role of emotional intelligence in schizophrenia: ability-based vs. self-reported assessment

Both ability-based tests (such as Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test-the managing emotions branch [MSCEIT-ME]) and self-reported scales (such as Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale [WLEIS]) have been employed to measure emotional intelligence (EI). While the clinical relevance of MSCEIT-ME performance among schizophrenia patients appeared inconsistent across studies, the role of WLEIS in schizophrenia has not yet been investigated.

We examined the effect of WLEIS scores on MSCEIT-ME performance in 492 Taiwanese schizophrenia patients (including 92 drug-free and 400 chronic medicated patients), and then the influence of symptomatology and neurocognition (with nine cognitive tests) on EI (MSCEIT-ME or WLEIS). Finally, we explored the differential roles of the two EI instruments in functional outcome (Global Assessment of Functioning [GAF] Scale and the Quality of Life [QoL] Scale).

With multiple regression analyses, participants' WLEIS performance showed a positive correlation with MSCEIT-ME scores after controlling sex and age. While male and younger patients with better nonverbal working memory and less severe negative symptoms were more likely to have better MSCEIT-ME performance, older patients with more positive symptoms and fewer depressive symptoms showed greater WLEIS performance. Moreover, female and younger individuals with better MSCEIT-ME and WLEIS scores had more favorable QoL, while higher MSCEIT-ME scores linked to patients' better GAF. In addition, patients' medication status didn't affect the aforementioned findings.

The results suggest that that MSCEIT-ME and WLEIS may differ in their associations with clinical and neurocognitive profiles, and their impacts on functional outcome. Longitudinal studies in other populations are warranted.