Social Anxiety and Depression in Portuguese and Spanish Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence

Abstract

Social anxiety (SA) and depressive disorder usually coexist. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a protective factor against emotional disorders. The aim of this study is to examine the moderating role of EI in the relationship between SA and depression among Spanish and Portuguese adolescents. Information on these variables was collected through a cross-sectional study with 1456 students between 12 and 19 years of age. The software PROCESS was used to perform the analysis of conditional processes (model 1). The moderation model was conducted, including the covariate country, and showed significant differences between countries in the relationship between SA and Depression. The summary model explained that 42% of the Depression. The statistical analysis was repeated separately for Portuguese and Spanish adolescents, with EI as the moderating variable. The effect of SA on depression was significant for individuals with low or moderate EI, while for adolescents with high EI there was no statistically significant effect. To prevent these outcomes, early interventions, including the enhancement of Trait EI, with adolescents with SA could reduce the risk of developing SA disorder, as well as subsequent depressive disorders in adolescence and early adulthood. This is especially important because research indicates that depression caused by SA is strongly associated with a worse course of depression.

Keywords: Adolescents; Depression; Emotional intelligence; Social anxiety disorder.