Emotional Intelligence Mothers having Children Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Priya Jose, Ananya Susan, Farheen Kooliyattayil, Nishanth Rajan

Department of Pediatrics, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry

Correspondence: Nishanth Rajan, Paediatrics, Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Ganapathi chettikulam, Puducherry.

Received: December 23, 2025                                           Published: March 11, 2026

Citation: Nishanth Rajan. Emotional Intelligence Mothers having Children Neurodevelopmental Disorders. AOJ Pub Health. 2026;1(1):10– 17.

Copyright: ©2026 Nishanth Rajan. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.

Abstract 

Purpose: To assess the emotional intelligence of mothers who have children with neurodevelopmental disorders. 

Methods: The study took place in a hospital environment at the child guidance and rehabilitation center over a duration of 2 months. Fifty mothers actively engaged in therapy for their children with NDDs were recruited using snowball sampling after informed consent. Information on demographics, caregiving factors, and social support were collected. Subsequently, Schutte's emotional intelligence scale was evaluated and analysed. 

Results: Most mothers were married, from lower-middle socioeconomic backgrounds, and spent >6 hours/day caregiving, with high reported social isolation despite familial support. The mean EI score is lower than the reported population average and analysis showed that this mean falls about one standard deviation below typical norms, near the lower range of "competent" EI. 

Conclusion: The findings suggest that mothers of children with NDDs have reduced emotional intelligence compared to the general adult population. Contributing factors are caregiving difficulties, social isolation despite some familial support, and financial strains. The research emphasizes on the importance of emotional intelligence as a potentially modifiable factor that can improve caregiver resilience and well-being. It also highlights the significance of tackling social stigma and financial assistance for families impacted by NDDs. 

Keywords: Emotional Intelligence, Neurodevelopmental disorders, mental health

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