Inteligência emocional em estudantes de odontologia no Brasil

Abstract

Dental education in Brazil is marked by structural, economic, and emotional challenges that directly impact students’ academic performance and retention. In this context, emotional intelligence (EI) emerges as an essential skill for coping with the demands of university life and for future clinical practice. This study aimed to assess the EI traits of undergraduate dental students in Brazil and to examine the influence of sociodemographic factors. This was a cross-sectional, quantitative study involving 341 students enrolled in the second half of dentistry programs at 45 public and private institutions across all five regions of the country. Sampling followed the snowball technique, and data were collected through an electronic form (Google Forms), widely disseminated with the support of faculty members and course coordinators. The instrument used was the TEIQue-SF, validated in Brazil, consisting of 30 items across four domains: well-being, self-control, emotionality, and sociability. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0, applying the chi-square test and one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test (p < 0.05). Most students showed moderate levels of EI. The “well-being” domain had the highest scores, reflecting self-esteem and optimism. In contrast, 50% reported difficulties in “self-control,” and 57.2% experienced interpersonal conflicts, indicating challenges in the “emotionality” domain. “Sociability” showed intermediate performance, with good interaction skills but lower perceived emotional influence. Auxiliary facets indicated high motivation levels, although more than half of the participants reported difficulty adapting to new situations. A statistically significant association was found only with sex (p = 0.019), with higher EI scores among male students. No significant associations were identified for the other variables investigated. The study concluded that Brazilian dental students generally exhibit moderate EI levels, with particular challenges in self-control and emotionality domains.