Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence, Self-Compassion and Wellbeing in Ambulance Staff

Objective Ambulance staff are at increased risk of negative wellbeing outcomes, though there is a lack of research into their wellbeing. This study aims to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and self-compassion, two factors related to positive wellbeing in other populations, and the professional quality of life and psychological wellbeing of ambulance staff. Methods A within-participants cross-sectional survey was completed with UK ambulance staff. Data were collected via an anonymous online survey on participants’ demographics, emotional intelligence, self-compassion (separated into the subscales of self-coldness and self-kindness), compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction, and psychological wellbeing. The relationships between variables were first explored using Pearson’s r correlational analyses. Then three hierarchical multiple regressions were used to explore what predicted the outcome variables of compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and psychological wellbeing. Results 146 ambulance staff completed the survey. Emotional intelligence and self-kindness correlated negatively with compassion fatigue, while self-coldness correlated positively with compassion fatigue; emotional intelligence and self-kindness correlated positively with both compassion satisfaction and psychological wellbeing, and self-coldness correlated negatively with compassion satisfaction and psychological wellbeing. In hierarchical multiple regression analyses, compassion fatigue was significantly predicted by greater self-coldness and years of experience; compassion satisfaction was predicted by greater emotional intelligence and fewer years of experience; and psychological wellbeing was predicted by greater emotional intelligence and lower self-coldness. Conclusions The findings indicated that emotional intelligence and self-coldness can predict aspects of professional and psychological wellbeing in ambulance staff. Self-kindness does not predict wellbeing in models with age, years of experience, emotional intelligence, and self-coldness. This suggests that enhancing emotional intelligence and reducing self-coldness could be targets in interventions to support ambulance staff wellbeing.