Background: Emotional intelligence is a crucial factor in psychological well-being that plays an essential role in adapting to stressful life events. Illness perception is a key factor in the ability to manage illness and recover functionally. Finding strategies to cope with negative illness perception in patients with leukemia and its destructive effects in individuals with blood cancer will be helpful. This study aimed to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence and illness perception in patients with leukemia.
Materials  This descriptive correlational study included 200 leukemia patients from selected hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2023. The research tools comprised a demographic information form, the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), and Broadbent et al.'s Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ). Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods in SPSS version 16.
Results: The mean emotional intelligence score was 127.17 (maximum: 165), and the mean illness perception score was 37.45 (maximum: 80). A significant negative correlation was found between emotional intelligence and illness perception (r=−0.477, P<0.001).
Conclusion: Patients with higher emotional intelligence demonstrated a more positive perception of their illness. Therefore, implementing programs and interventions aimed at increasing emotional intelligence will strengthen the positive perception of the disease in these patients. By reducing the negative illness perception, patients' ability to cope with stress, their adherence to treatment, and their quality of life will increase.
correlation between emotional intelligence and illness perception (P<0.001) (r=-0.477).
Conclusion: Patients who had higher emotional intelligence had a more positive perception of their disease. Therefore, the implementation of programs and interventions aimed at increasing emotional intelligence will strengthen the positive perception of the disease in these patients. By reducing the negative perception of the disease, the ability to cope with stress, adherence to treatment and also their quality of life increases.