Emotional and Motivational Mechanisms of Soft Skills Growth as Determinants of Mental Well-being
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/hl2025632Keywords:
motivation, self-сontrol, cognition, mental health, interpersonal relationsAbstract
Introduction: Soft skills were recognised as a critical element of mental health. The study therefore aimed to determine how the emotional and motivational components of soft skills related to students’ mental-health indicators.
Methods: A quantitative, survey-based correlational design was applied. The sample comprised 68 undergraduate and graduate students drawn from both humanities and technical faculties. Standardised questionnaires assessed emotional intelligence (EQ), empathy, social skills, psychological distress (GHQ-12), stress (DASS-21) and well-being (WHO-5). Pearson’s or Spearman’s correlation coefficients quantified associations between variables.
Results: Most respondents exhibited moderate development of emotional and motivational skills. Emotional discomfort was reported by 44 % of participants (GHQ-12: M = 17.6) and high stress by 21 % (DASS-21: M = 12.1). Social skills (M = 22.4) and empathy (M = 19.7) emerged as the strongest competencies. Emotional intelligence correlated negatively with psychological distress (r = –0.48; p < 0.01) and stress (ρ = –0.42; p < 0.01) and positively with well-being (r = 0.53; p < 0.01).
Conclusions: The analysis confirmed significant links between students’ emotional-motivational soft skills and mental-health outcomes. Higher emotional intelligence predicted lower distress and stress alongside greater subjective well-being. Strengthening emotional and motivational abilities was therefore concluded to be a viable pathway for reducing psychological strain and enhancing resilience. Educational programmes were advised to embed targeted emotional-intelligence training to promote mental health within the student population.
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