Influence of the Strength of Faith, Emotional Intelligence, and Post-COVID-19 Psychological Well-being in Peruvian Adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/mw2025669Keywords:
Multivariate normality, Correlations, Structural equation modeling, Mental health, Post-COVID-19Abstract
The strength of faith and emotional intelligence can be predictors of good mental health in survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic in sociocultural contexts such as Peru. This study aims to explore the influence of the strength of faith and emotional intelligence on psychological well-being in Peruvian adults post-COVID-19. A total of 390 adults (Mean: 39.36; SD: 13.91) participated, responding to the Santa Clara Religious Faith Strength Questionnaire, Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, and Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5). The instruments showed good structural validity and adequate reliability levels (> .70). The strength of faith has a significant and positive effect on psychological well-being (β = 0.23; p < 0.05). Emotional intelligence has a significant and negative effect on psychological distress (β = -0.53; p < 0.05) and a significant and positive effect on psychological well-being (β = 0.48; p < 0.05). The overall model fit indices indicate favorable and acceptable indicators (RMSEA = 0.031; CFI = 0.990; TLI = 0.989). This study highlights the positive influence of the strength of faith and emotional intelligence on the psychological well-being of COVID-19 survivors. These findings underscore the importance of considering the spiritual dimension and the development of emotional skills in recovery and psychological support efforts.
References
Ai, A., Wink, P., Paloutzian, R., & Harriss, K. (2021). Assessing Spirituality in a Diverse World. Springer. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52140-0
Arslan, G., & Yıldırım, M. (2021). Meaning-Based Coping and Spirituality During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mediating Effects on Subjective Well-Being. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1012. https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2021.646572/BIBTEX
Bano, Z., & Pervaiz, S. (2020). The relationship between resilience, emotional intelligence and their influence on psychological wellbeing: A study with medical students. Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal, 70(2), 390–394.
Barberis, N., Cannavò, M., Trovato, M., & Verrastro, V. (2023). Pathways from Trait Emotional Intelligence to factors of distress in Rosacea: The mediating role of Social Phobia and Self-Esteem. Journal of Affective Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.03.003
Barreto Espinoza, L. A., & Barreto Espinoza, M. E. (2021). EXPERIENCIAS Y SENTIMIENTOS DE PACIENTES CON COVID-19 ATENDIDOS DE MANERA REMOTA EN CHICLAYO-PERÚ. Revista Científica CURAE, 4(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.26495/curae.v4i1.1891
Bashir, A., Tahir Hussain Rizvi, S., Salman Chughtai, M., Kaleem Paracha, U., & Jashari, A. (2020). Followers’ Faith Enhances Job Satisfaction that is induced by Trust Worthy Leaders: A Moderated Mediation Model of Communication Satisfaction. International Journal of Future Generation Communication and Networking, 13(2), 1453–1470.
Berkley-Patton, J., Thompson, C. B., Williams, J., Christensen, K., Wainwright, C., Williams, E., Bradley-Ewing, A., Bauer, A., & Allsworth, J. (2021). Engaging the Faith Community in Designing a Church-Based Mental Health Screening and Linkage to Care Intervention. Metropolitan Universities, 32(1), 104–123. https://doi.org/10.18060/24059
Berwick, D. M., Murphy, J. M., Goldman, P. A., Ware, J. E. Jr., Barsky, A. J., & Weinstein, M. C. (1991). Performance of a Five-Item Mental Health Screening Test. Medical Care, 29(2). https://journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare/Fulltext/1991/02000/Performance_of_a_Five_Item_Mental_Health_Screening.8.aspx
Boehm, T. L., & Carter, E. W. (2019). Facets of faith: Spirituality, religiosity, and parents of individuals with intellectual disability. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 57(6), 512–526. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-57.6.512
Bunce, L., Lonsdale, A. J., King, N., Childs, J., & Bennie, R. (2019). Emotional Intelligence and Self-Determined Behaviour Reduce Psychological Distress: Interactions with Resilience in Social Work Students in the UK. British Journal of Social Work, 49(8), 2092–2111. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcz008
Casino-García, A. M., García-Pérez, J., & Llinares-Insa, L. I. (2019). Subjective emotionalwell-being, emotional intelligence, and mood of gifted vs. unidentified students: A relationship model. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(18). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16183266
Caycho-Rodríguez, T., Vilca, L. W., Plante, T. G., Vivanco-Vidal, A., Saroli-Araníbar, D., Carbajal-León, C., Peña-Calero, B. N., & White, M. (2022). Strength of Religious Faith in Peruvian Adolescents and Adults: Psychometric Evidence from the Original and Short Versions of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire in Spanish. Pastoral Psychology, 71(3), 399–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-021-00972-3
Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, P. y C. de E. (2022, August 13). Sala COVID-19. Sala COVID-19.
Conde-Pipó, J., Melguizo-Ibáñez, E., Mariscal-Arcas, M., Zurita-Ortega, F., Ubago-Jiménez, J. L., Ramírez-Granizo, I., & González-Valero, G. (2021). Physical Self-Concept Changes in Adults and Older Adults: Influence of Emotional Intelligence, Intrinsic Motivation and Sports Habits. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1711. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041711
Diener, E., Oishi, S., & Ryan, K. L. (2013). Universals and Cultural Differences in the Causes and Structure of Happiness: A Multilevel Review. In C. L. M. Keyes (Ed.), Mental Well-Being: International Contributions to the Study of Positive Mental Health (pp. 153–176). Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5195-8_8
Edara, I. R. (2021). Exploring the relation between emotional intelligence, subjective wellness, and psychological distress: A case study of university students in Taiwan. Behavioral Sciences, 11(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/BS11090124
Epps, F., & Williams, I. C. (2020). The Importance of Religiosity to the Well-Being of African American Older Adults Living With Dementia. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 39(5), 509–518. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464818820773
Espinosa, A., Akinsulure-Smith, A. M., & Chu, T. (2019). Trait emotional intelligence, coping, and occupational distress among resettlement workers. Psychological Trauma : Theory, Research, Practice and Policy, 11(1), 28–34. https://doi.org/10.1037/TRA0000377
Espinosa, A., & Rudenstine, S. (2020). The contribution of financial well-being, social support, and trait emotional intelligence on psychological distress. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 59(2), 224–240. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12242
Extremera, N., Sánchez-Álvarez, N., & Rey, L. (2020). Pathways between ability emotional intelligence and subjectivewell-being: Bridging links through cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12052111
Fradelos, E., Kapsiocha, E., Tzavella, F., Kastanidou, S., Tsaras, K., Papagiannis, D., & Papathanasiou, I. (2019). Factors Associated with Psychological Distress in University Students and the Relation to Emotional Intelligent and Spirituality: a Cross-sectional Study. Materia Socio Medica, 31(4), 262. https://doi.org/10.5455/msm.2019.31.262-267
Fteiha, M., & Awwad, N. (2020). Emotional intelligence and its relationship with stress coping style. In Health Psychology Open (Vol. 7, Issue 2). SAGE Publications Inc. https://doi.org/10.1177/2055102920970416
Garcini, L. M., Rosenfeld, J., Kneese, G., Bondurant, R. G., & Kanzler, K. E. (2022a). Dealing with distress from the COVID-19 pandemic: Mental health stressors and coping strategies in vulnerable latinx communities. Health and Social Care in the Community, 30(1), 284–294. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13402
Garcini, L. M., Rosenfeld, J., Kneese, G., Bondurant, R. G., & Kanzler, K. E. (2022b). Dealing with distress from the COVID-19 pandemic: Mental health stressors and coping strategies in vulnerable latinx communities. Health & Social Care in the Community, 30(1), 284–294. https://doi.org/10.1111/HSC.13402
Geller, S., Handelzalts, J., Gelfat, R., Arbel, S., Sidi, Y., & Levy, S. (2020). Exploring body image, strength of faith, and media exposure among three denominations of Jewish women. Current Psychology, 39(5), 1774–1784. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9876-9
Green, S. B., Akey, T. M., Fleming, K. K., Hershberger, S. L., & Marquis, J. G. (2009). Effect of the number of scale points on chi‐square fit indices in confirmatory factor analysis. Http://Dx.Doi.Org/10.1080/10705519709540064, 4(2), 108–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519709540064
Greenspoon, P. J., & Saklofske, D. H. (2001). Toward an Integration of Subjective Well-Being and Psychopathology. Social Indicators Research, 54(1), 81–108. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007219227883
Gudenkauf, L. M., Clark, M. M., Novotny, P. J., Piderman, K. M., Ehlers, S. L., Patten, C. A., Nes, L. S., Ruddy, K. J., Sloan, J. A., & Yang, P. (2019). Spirituality and Emotional Distress Among Lung Cancer Survivors. Clinical Lung Cancer, 20(6), e661–e666. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CLLC.2019.06.015
Guerra-Bustamante, J., León-Del-Barco, B., Yuste-Tosina, R., López-Ramos, V. M., & Mendo-Lázaro, S. (2019). Emotional intelligence and psychological well-being in adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16101720
Hair, J. F., Black, Jr, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate Data Analysis. In Pearson New International Edition.
Hayes, A. F., & Coutts, J. J. (2020). Use Omega Rather than Cronbach’s Alpha for Estimating Reliability. But…. Communication Methods and Measures, 14(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/19312458.2020.1718629
Hueda-Zavaleta, M., Copaja-Corzo, C., Bardales-Silva, F., Flores-Palacios, R., Barreto-Rocchetti, L., & Benites-Zapata, V. A. (2021). Factors associated with mortality due to COVID-19 in patients from a public hospital in Tacna, Peru. Revista Peruana de Medicina Experimental y Salud Publica, 38(2), 214–223. https://doi.org/10.17843/rpmesp.2021.382.7158
Kline, R. B. (2013). Beyond signficance testing (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14136-000
Lalani, N. (2020). Meanings and interpretations of spirituality in nursing and health. Religions, 11(9), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11090428
Lathabhavan, R., & Vispute, S. (2022). Examining the Mediating Effects of Stress on Fear of COVID-19 and Well-being Using Structural Equation Modeling. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 20(5), 2681–2689. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11469-021-00541-Y/TABLES/3
Lee, Y. H., R. Richards, K. A., & Washhburn, N. S. (2020). Emotional Intelligence, Job Satisfaction, Emotional Exhaustion, and Subjective Well-Being in High School Athletic Directors. Psychological Reports, 123(6), 2418–2440. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294119860254
Llinares-Insa, L. I., Casino-García, A. M., & García-Pérez, J. (2020). Subjective well-being, emotional intelligence, and mood of parents: A model of relationships. impact of giftedness. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(21), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218810
Lopez-Zafra, E., Ramos-álvarez, M. M., El Ghoudani, K., Luque-Reca, O., Augusto-Landa, J. M., Zarhbouch, B., Alaoui, S., Cortés-Denia, D., & Pulido-Martos, M. (2019). Social support and emotional intelligence as protective resources for well-being in Moroccan adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(JULY). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01529
Magdalena Midi, M., Cosmas, G., & Sinik, S. (2019). The effects of spiritual intelligence on academic achievement and psychological well-being of youths in Kanibungan Village, Pitas. In Southeast Asia Psychology Journal (Vol. 9).
Malinauskas, R., & Malinauskiene, V. (2020). The relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being among male university students: The mediating role of perceived social support and perceived stress. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051605
Margetić, B., Peraica, T., Stojanović, K., & Ivanec, D. (2022). Spirituality, Personality, and Emotional Distress During COVID-19 Pandemic in Croatia. Journal of Religion and Health, 61(1), 644–656. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10943-021-01473-6/TABLES/2
Mascia, M. L., Agus, M., & Penna, M. P. (2020). Emotional Intelligence, Self-Regulation, Smartphone Addiction: Which Relationship With Student Well-Being and Quality of Life? Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00375
Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Educational implications. (pp. 3–34). Basic Books.
Méndez-Giménez, A., Cecchini, J. A., & García-Romero, C. (2020). Profiles of emotional intelligence and their relationship with motivational and well-being factors in physical education. Psicologia Educativa, 26(1), 27–36. https://doi.org/10.5093/PSED2019A19
Merino Soto, C., Lunahuaná-Rosales, M., & Kumar Pradhan, R. (2016). Validación Estructural de Wong-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS): Estudio preliminar en adultos. LIBERABIT, 22(1), 103–110. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24265/liberabit.2016.v22n1.09
Molero, P. P., Ortega, F. Z., Jiménez, J. L. U., & Valero, G. G. (2019). Influence of emotional intelligence and burnout syndrome on teachers well-being: A systematic review. In Social Sciences (Vol. 8, Issue 6). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8060185
Mueller, R. O. (2009). Structural equation modeling: Back to basics. Http://Dx.Doi.Org/10.1080/10705519709540081, 4(4), 353–369. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519709540081
Musil, C. M., Jones, S. L., & Warner, C. D. (1998). Structural equation modeling and its relationship to multiple regression and factor analysis. Research in Nursing & Health, 21(3), 271–281. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-240X(199806)21:3<271::AID-NUR10>3.0.CO;2-G
Nyarko, F., Peltonen, K., Kangaslampi, S., & Punamäki, R. L. (2020). Emotional intelligence and cognitive skills protecting mental health from stress and violence among Ghanaian youth. Heliyon, 6(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/J.HELIYON.2020.E03878
Persich, M. R., Smith, R., Cloonan, S. A., Woods-Lubbert, R., Strong, M., & Killgore, W. D. S. (2021). Emotional intelligence training as a protective factor for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression and Anxiety, 38(10), 1018–1025. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.23202
Pineda, C. N., Naz, M. P., Ortiz, A., Ouano, E. L., Padua, N. P., Paronable, J. J., Pelayo, J. M., Regalado, M. C., & Torres, G. C. S. (2022). Resilience, Social Support, Loneliness and Quality of Life during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Structural Equation Model. Nurse Education in Practice, 64, 103419. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.NEPR.2022.103419
Plante, T. G., & Boccaccini, M. T. (1997). The Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire. In Pastoral Psychology (Vol. 45, Issue 5).
Puertas-Molero, P., Zurita-Ortega, F., Chacón-Cuberos, R., Castro-Sánchez, M., Ramírez-Granizo, I., & González-Valero, G. (2020). Emotional intelligence in the field of education: A meta-analysis. Anales de Psicologia, 36(1), 84–91. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.345901
Rahiem, M. D. H., Krauss, S. E., & Ersing, R. (2021). Perceived consequences of extended social isolation on mental well-being: Narratives from indonesian university students during the covid-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910489
Rana, S., Gopinath, C. B., Jaggaiah, T., Kethan, M., Kumar V, S., & Mahabub Basha, S. (2022). A study of Emotional Intelligence and Quality of Life among Doctors in PandemicCovid 19. 14(02), 1334–1342. https://doi.org/10.9756/INT-JECSE/V14I2.118
Raney, A. A., Ai, A. L., & Paloutzian, R. F. (2022). Faith Factors, Character Strengths, and Depression following Hurricane Michael. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508619.2022.2029045
Rathakrishnan, B., Singh, S. S. B., Yahaya, A., Kamaluddin, M. R., & Aziz, S. F. A. (2022). The Relationship Among Spirituality, Fear, and Mental Health on COVID-19 Among Adults: An Exploratory Research. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 6173. https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2021.815332/BIBTEX
Ray, J. (2022, June 28). World Unhappier, More Stressed Out Than Ever. https://news.gallup.com/poll/394025/world-unhappier-stressed-ever.aspx
Rey, L., Extremera, N., & Sánchez-Álvarez, N. (2019). Clarifying The Links Between Perceived Emotional Intelligence and Well-Being in Older People: Pathways Through Perceived Social Support from Family and Friends. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 14(1), 221–235. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-017-9588-6
Rivera-Riquelme, M., Piqueras, J. A., & Cuijpers, P. (2019). The Revised Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5) as an ultra-brief screening measure of bidimensional mental health in children and adolescents. Psychiatry Research, 274, 247–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.02.045
Román-Mata, S. S., Puertas-Molero, P., Ubago-Jiménez, J. L., & González-Valero, G. (2020). Benefits of physical activity and its associations with resilience, emotional intelligence, and psychological distress in university students from southern spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124474
Salanova, M. (2008). Healthy organizations: An approximation from positive psychology. Psicología Positiva: Bases Científicas Del Bienestar Y La Resiliencia, 403–427. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-80052996380&partnerID=40&md5=4a78314976281b0568cc62d6b70f2c6d
Salavera, C., Usán, P., Teruel, P., & Antoñanzas, J. L. (2020). Eudaimonic Well-being in adolescents: The role of trait emotional intelligence and personality. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(7), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072742
Sánchez Esquiche, W. M., Mariaca Mamani, M. H., Anampa Paucar, M. A., & Álvarez Becerra, R. M. (2021). Calidad de sueño en personal de salud expuestos a la pandemia de COVID-19 en el Hospital Hipólito Unanue de Tacna. Revista Médica Del Hospital Unanue de Tacna, 14(01), 10–13. https://doi.org/0000-0003-2753-569X
Schreiber, J. B., Stage, F. K., King, J., Nora, A., & Barlow, E. A. (2010). Reporting Structural Equation Modeling and Confirmatory Factor Analysis Results: A Review. Https://Doi.Org/10.3200/JOER.99.6.323-338, 99(6), 323–338. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOER.99.6.323-338
Sherin Lee, T., & Vinod, V. (2019). Role of faith on self-esteem of young Christian women involved in multiple roles. Indian Journal of Health and Well-Being , 10(4–6), 146–150.
Sun, H., Wang, S., Wang, W., Han, G., Liu, Z., Wu, Q., & Pang, X. (2021). Correlation between emotional intelligence and negative emotions of front-line nurses during the COVID-19 epidemic: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 30(3–4), 385–396. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15548
Szcześniak, M., & Tułecka, M. (2020). Family functioning and life satisfaction: The mediatory role of emotional intelligence. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 13, 223–232. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S240898
Usset, T. J., Butler, M., & Harris, J. I. (2020). Building spiritual strength: A group treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder, moral injury, and spiritual distress. Addressing Moral Injury in Clinical Practice., 223–241. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000204-013
Valle Cohaila, V. V., Lévano Villanueva, C. J. U., Ayca Castro, I. del R., Condori Quispe, W. W., & Álvarez Becerra, R. M. (2021). Impacto psicológico de la pandemia de COVID-19 en docentes de ciencias de la salud de una universidad pública de Tacna. Revista Médica Del Hospital Unanue de Tacna, 14(01), 19–25. https://doi.org/0000-0002-2183-0631
Vilca, L. W., Chávez, B. v, Fernández, Y. S., & Caycho-Rodríguez, T. (2022). Spanish Version of the Revised Mental Health Inventory-5 (R-MHI-5): New Psychometric Evidence from the Classical Test Theory (CTT) and the Item Response Theory Perspective (IRT). Trends in Psychology, 30(1), 111–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-021-00107-w
Weston, R., & Gore, P. A. (2006). A Brief Guide to Structural Equation Modeling. Http://Dx.Doi.Org/10.1177/0011000006286345, 34(5), 719–751. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006286345
Williams, L. J., Vandenberg, R. J., & Edwards, J. R. (2009). 12 Structural Equation Modeling in Management Research: A Guide for Improved Analysis. New Pub: Academy of Management, 3(1), 543–604. https://doi.org/10.1080/19416520903065683
Wong, C.-S., & Law, K. S. (2002). The effects of leader and follower emotional intelligence on performance and attitude: An exploratory study. The Leadership Quaterly, 13(3), 243–274. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/S1048-9843(02)00099-1
World Health Organization. (1998). Wellbeing Measurez in Primary Health Care / The Depcare Project.
Wu, C.-W., Chen, W.-W., & Jen, C.-H. (2021). Emotional Intelligence and Cognitive Flexibility in the Relationship Between Parenting and Subjective Well-Being. Journal of Adult Development, 28(2), 106–115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-020-09357-x
Yusoff, M. S. B., Hadie, S. N. H., & Yasin, M. A. M. (2021). The roles of emotional intelligence, neuroticism, and academic stress on the relationship between psychological distress and burnout in medical students. BMC Medical Education, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02733-5
Zhang, H., Hook, J. N., Tongeren, D. R. V., Davis, E. B., Aten, J. D., McElroy-Heltzel, S., Davis, D. E., Shannonhouse, L., Hodge, A. S., & Captari, L. E. (2021). Spiritual Fortitude: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Implications for COVID-19 Coping. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 8(4), 229–244. https://doi.org/10.1037/scp0000267.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Daysi M. Yufra-Urrutia, Esther E. Méndez-Zavaleta, Isaac A. Conde-Rodríguez, Liset Z. Sairitupa-Sanchez, Wilter C. Morales-García (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Unless otherwise stated, associated published material is distributed under the same licence.