Emotional intelligence and spirituality in university students: an integrative review

Research in educational populations has concluded that emotional intelligence positively affects a person's reality. On the other hand, spirituality has multiple related benefits, such as better quality of life and mental and physical health. However, little evidence has analyzed the relationship between these constructs. The aim of this article was to analyze the existing literature on emotional intelligence and spirituality in undergraduate and postgraduate university students.

Integrative review, based on the 'Integra' strategy with an emphasis on the quality of the results. The WoS, SCOPUS, CINAHL and PubMed databases were consulted; articles in Spanish, English and Portuguese published up to December 2024 were included; letters to the editor, editorials, thesis reports and reviews were excluded.

After analysing the quality of the articles, the final sample consisted of 35 manuscripts published between 2008 and 2024, 33 of which had a quantitative approach. The studies showed significant and positive correlations between emotional intelligence and spirituality. The findings of this study are consistent with those of other authors, highlighting the importance of both constructs in educational systems, given that they allow for the cross-curricular development of multiple dimensions related to students, and may contribute to supporting adaptive behaviors.

Emotional intelligence and spirituality are correlated not only from a theoretical perspective but also empirically, with positive and significant correlations between both constructs, suggesting that they may function as potential protective factors in educational contexts.