Empirical Foundations and Conceptual Pathways for Social Worker-Led Emotional Intelligence Interventions in Healthcare

Emotional intelligence (EI) is increasingly recognized as an important factor in improving patient outcomes, strengthening teamwork, and reducing stress among healthcare professionals. This paper synthesizes empirical evidence on EI interventions in healthcare and examines the potential role of social workers in facilitating these interventions. Drawing on systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and qualitative research, findings indicate that EI training is associated with improvements in emotional regulation, communication, stress reduction, and broader organizational outcomes (Hodzic et al., 2018; Mattingly & Kraiger, 2019; Michelangelo, 2015; Powell et al., 2024; Ruth et al., 2024). Despite consistent evidence supporting the effectiveness of EI interventions, methodological limitations including reliance on self-report measures, limited use of active control groups, and lack of longitudinal follow- up constrain the strength of current conclusions. In addition, direct empirical research examining the role of facilitator discipline remains limited. To address these gaps, this paper proposes a longitudinal, multi-site randomized controlled trial designed to strengthen causal inference, improve measurement validity, and evaluate the influence of facilitator background on intervention outcomes. The analysis highlights the potential for EI interventions to contribute to improved healthcare delivery while emphasizing the need for more rigorous and scalable approaches to implementation and evaluation.