Aging is a process during which important changes occur in different areas of development and emotional intelligence plays an essential role. The objective of this study was twofold: first, to validate the TMMS-24 in an older population; and second, to examine the mediating role of life satisfaction in the relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being. The sample consisted of 215 older adults (60.15% women) with a mean age of 69.56 (SD = 6.42), without cognitive impairment. Data on emotional intelligence, satisfaction with life, and psychological well-being were obtained through the TMMS-24, the SWLS, and Ryff's psychological well-being scales, respectively. Confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling were conducted. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the three-dimensional structure of the TMMS-24. The total scale showed an internal consistency of 0.90, ranging from 0.84 to 0.85 for the subscales. Structural equation modeling indicated that emotional intelligence exerted an influence on psychological well-being both directly and indirectly through life satisfaction. These findings show that the TMMS-24 has adequate psychometric properties for assessing emotional intelligence in elderly participants, and they indicate that emotional intelligence influences cognitive and affective judgments of life satisfaction, with these judgments of life satisfaction predicting psychological well-being.

Objectives: Emotional intelligence (EI) is a strong predictor of negative mood. Applying emotional skills correctly can help to increase positive emotional states and reduce negative ones. This study aims to implement EI intervention designed to improve clarity, repair EI dimensions and coping strategies, and reduce negative mood in older adults. Design: Participants were randomly assigned to the treatment or control group. Setting: Participants were evaluated individually before and after the intervention. Participants: Participants included 111 healthy older adults; 51 in the treatment group and 60 in the control group. Intervention: An EI program was implemented. The program was administered over 10 sessions lasting 90 min each. Measurements: EI dimension (attention, clarity, and repair), coping strategies, hopelessness, and mood were assessed. Results: Analysis of variance for repeated measures was applied. In the treatment group, scores on clarity and emotional repair increased and attention to emotions decreased; problem-focused coping (problem-solving, positive reappraisal, and seeking social support) showed significant increases, whereas emotion-focused coping (negative self-focused and overt emotional expression) obtained significant decreases; scores on negative mood measures declined significantly. Conclusions: An intervention based on EI is effective in older adults. After the EI intervention, the participants showed significant increases in their levels of clarity and emotional repair and intermediate levels of attention. In addition, the intervention was found to influence adaptation results, increasing the use of adaptive coping strategies and decreasing the use of maladaptive strategies, as well as reducing hopelessness and depressive symptoms.

El manejo y las estrategias utilizadas desempeñan un papel esencial en la adaptación a los cambios, y los rasgos de la personalidad son factores predictivos importantes de estas estrategias. El objetivo de este estudio es estudiar qué rasgos predicen diferentes estrategias de afrontamiento en adultos mayores. Los participantes fueron 226 adultos mayores (60 a 88 años). Los instrumentos utilizados fueron el NEO-FFI para evaluar la personalidad y el Cuestionario de estrategias de afrontamiento (CAE). Se realizaron modelos de regresión lineal múltiple. El neuroticismo predijo positivamente las estrategias orientadas a la emoción: autofocalización negativa, expresión abierta de emociones, evitación y religión. Las estrategias orientadas a los problemas fueron predichas positivamente: apertura a la experiencia (resolución de problemas), la amabilidad (reevaluación positiva) y la responsabilidad (resolución de problemas y reevaluación positiva). Además, la amabilidad y la responsabilidad predijeron de manera negativa las estrategias orientadas a la emoción: expresión emocional abierta y autofocalización negativa. La extraversión no predijo ninguna estrategia de afrontamiento. Estos hallazgos muestran que el neuroticismo es un rasgo desadaptativo durante el envejecimiento, mientras que la apertura a la experiencia, la amabilidad y la conciencia son rasgos adaptativos en los adultos mayores. Coping and strategies used play an essential role in the adaptation to changes, and personality traits are important predictors of these strategies. The aim of this study is to find out what traits predict different coping strategies in older adults. Participants were 226 older adults (60 to 88 years old). Data on personality and coping strategies were obtained through the NEO-FFI and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire. Multiple linear regression models were conducted. Neuroticism positively predicted emotion-oriented strategies: negative self-focused, overt-emotional expression, avoidance, and religious. Problem-oriented strategies were positively predicted by openness to experience (problem-solving focused), agreeableness (positive reappraisal), and conscientiousness (problem-solving focused and positive reappraisal). In addition, agreeableness and conscientiousness negatively predicted emotion-oriented strategies: overt-emotional expression and negative self-focused. Extraversion did not predict any coping strategy. These findings show that neuroticism is a maladaptive trait during aging, whereas openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness are adaptive traits in older adults.

Background. Effective coping strategies facilitate older adults’ optimal adaptation and contribute to their well-being. Problem-focused strategies are associated with active styles and enhance well-being. This study analyzes the role of coping strategies in Colombian older adults’ subjective well-being (SWB) using structural equation modelling. Additionally, Confirmatory Factor Analyses of the Life Satisfaction Scale and Coping Strategies Questionnaires are performed. Method. A cross-sectional study is conducted with 455 Colombian older adults, ranging from 65 to 92 years old. Results. The results show that problem-focused coping has a positive effect on SWB, whereas emotion-focused coping has a negative effect on SWB. Conclusions. This article highlights the relationship between effective coping and life satisfaction by showing that problem-focused coping strategies are adaptative and enhance well-being during aging.