Emotional Intelligence of primary caregivers of cancer patients

• Grant number: 24/08932-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Fundamentals and Assessments in Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Fabiano Koich Miguel
• Grantee: Melissa Giannina Sueros Torres
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Currently, Brazil is facing an alarming scenario of a high number of cancer diagnoses, which require patients to have great tolerance due to treatments, often involving unpleasant experiences. This situation generates a significant emotional impact and, consequently, a high-stress level. In this context, psycho-oncology stands out since psychological interventions are carried out with both patients and their families. In addition, knowledge about emotional intelligence (EI) on the part of the medical team is crucial to promote patient engagement in treatment. Although emotional intelligence has been widely studied in various contexts in the hospital environment, there are still no investigations on its knowledge and impact on caregivers of patients with cancer diagnosis. For this reason, the present study aims to characterize the emotional intelligence of 200 participants, a sample of 100 primary caregivers of individuals with cancer (CG), and a sample of 100 non-caregivers (NCG), seeking a balance of 50% women and 50% men in each group. The research will explore the relationship between EI and sociodemographic characteristics and investigate possible differences in EI levels between CG and NCG, as well as correlations between EI components in CG.