# Determining the Emotional Intelligence and Compassion Fatigue Among Postgraduate Dental Students Using the Emotional Intelligence Scale and the Quality of Life Scale: An Observational Study

## TL;DR

This study explores how postgraduate dental students experience compassion fatigue and emotional intelligence, finding both are high among them.

## Contribution

The study evaluates compassion fatigue and emotional intelligence in postgraduate dental students using validated scales in an Indian context.

## Key findings

- Postgraduate dental students showed high levels of compassion fatigue.
- Emotional intelligence was also found to be high among the students.
- The study suggests the need for psycho-education and self-care to manage compassion fatigue.

## Abstract

Introduction

Compassion fatigue (CF) is a problem for professionals who work with traumatized individuals. CF manifests as reliving personal sorrow, nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, numbing or avoiding memories of the experience, and elevated physiological arousal. CF makes professionals more likely to make bad choices, such as misplacing treatments or mistreating patients. Emotional intelligence (EI) is essential to comprehending human behavior, performance, and well-being. EI is a crucial component of professional competency in medical education, as postgraduate dental students are also at risk of having CF. They are professionals and have to work with traumatized patients, so the study was conducted to evaluate their CF and EI. This study aimed to evaluate EI and CF among postgraduate dental students at Sharad Pawar Dental College and Hospital, Wardha, India.

Materials

The observational study was conducted at Sharad Pawar Dental College and Hospital among postgraduate dental students. The data was collected from 80 postgraduate students who responded to the Professional Quality of Life Version 5 and the Emotional Intelligence Scale questionnaires.

Result

A total of 80 postgraduate dental students responded to the Professional Quality of Life Version 5 and the Emotional Intelligence Scale questionnaires, and all the responses were included in the study. Findings revealed that postgraduate dental students treating patients have high levels of CF and EI.

Conclusion

This study indicates that there is a high level of CF and EI in postgraduate dental students. As high CF is harmful and can affect physical and mental well-being, proper management should be done through psycho-education and self-care.