INFLUENCE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING OF POLICE OFFICERS IN IBADAN

Abstract

This study examined the psychological wellbeing of police officers in Ibadan, with a specific focus on the predictive roles of emotional intelligence and self-esteem. Adopting a correlational survey research design, the study explored both the independent and combined contributions of these psychological constructs to officers’ wellbeing. Data were collected through standardized instruments and analysed using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis, with the level of significance set at 0.05. Findings revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between self-esteem and psychological wellbeing (r = .218, p < .05), whereas emotional intelligence demonstrated a weak but statistically non-significant association with psychological wellbeing (r = .018, p > .05). Nonetheless, the combined effect of emotional intelligence and self-esteem significantly predicted psychological wellbeing, jointly accounting for 6.4% of the variance (R = .252, R² = .064, Adjusted R² = .055; F(2, 92) = 7.267, p < .05). These results highlight the critical role of self-esteem as a determinant of police officers’ psychological wellbeing, while suggesting that emotional intelligence remains a contributing but less potent factor in this context. The study recommends the development and implementation of structured interventions aimed at strengthening self-esteem and emotional intelligence, as part of broader mental health and wellbeing initiatives for police personnel.

Keywords: Emotional intelligence, Self-esteem, Psychological wellbeing