The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Coping Strategies Among Alzheimer’s Caregivers at Pusaka 41

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between emotional intelligence and coping strategies in caregivers with Alzheimer's disease at Pusaka 41 Nursing Home, Al Madiniyah Foundation. Caregivers who care for elderly people with Alzheimer's disease often experience significant emotional, physical, and psychological problems. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that influence their ability to cope with stress, including emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand and manage one's own and others' emotions. On the other hand, coping strategies are ways that a person uses to deal with pressure and difficult situations. The scale used in this study to measure coping strategies was sourced from Gustina (2019) and adapted to the research context by the researcher. Meanwhile, the scale in measuring emotional intelligence from Rofiah (2015) was also modified by the researcher. The study population consisted of 30 caregivers selected using the saturated sampling method. During data collection, questionnaires were distributed directly to respondents at the research location. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and coping strategies. The correlation coefficient was 0.461, with a significant difference of 0.010 (p<0,05). This means that the higher the caregiver's emotional intelligence, the more effective coping strategies they use to deal with stress in caring for the elderly with Alzheimer's disease. Conversely, lower emotional intelligence scores tend to be associated with higher emotional intelligence scores. Conversely, lower levels of emotional intelligence tend to correlate with the use of fewer coping strategies.