Zahra Emamimoghadam
Malihe Davoudi
Hamidreza Behnam vashhani - Evidence Based Care Research Centre, Instructor of Pediatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Amir Amin yazdi

Background: Stress is one of the major causes of physical and mental illnesses, which could interfere with individual s functions. Emotional intelligence skill is one of the controlling skills of stress and its negative consequences. Aim: To investigate the effect of teaching emotional intelligence skills on response to educational stress in high school girls. Methods: This experimental study was performed on 100 students of Mashhad high schools, who were randomly assigned in two experimental and control groups. The experimental group received a six-session teaching program on emotional intelligence, while control group received no intervention. Gadzella Student-Life Stress Inventory was used as a study tool. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 11.5 using independent t-test and paired t-test. Results: Both groups experienced changes in physiological  response to stress as the mean score of stress decreased in experimental group and increased in control group (P<0.001). Mean score of emotional intelligence in response to educational stress decreased significantly in both groups, but the independent t-test showed that the experimental group had a significant decline (P<0.001). Mean scores of behavioral and cognitive responses decreased after intervention in experimental group (P<0.001). Mean score of Overall response to stress decreased after intervention in experimental group as well (P<0.003). Conclusion: Offering courses on emotional intelligence in schools can be effective in reducing the consequences of educational stress.

High school girls, Educational, stress, Emotional intelligence