Is intelligence correlated with mental issues?

Introduction

The relationship between intelligence and mental health has been a subject of extensive research. Various studies have explored how different aspects of intelligence, including emotional intelligence (EI) and cognitive intelligence (IQ), correlate with mental health outcomes. This synthesis aims to present the key insights from multiple research papers to address whether intelligence is correlated with mental issues.

Key Insights

Emotional Intelligence and Mental Health:
- Higher emotional intelligence is consistently associated with better mental health outcomes, including lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress .
- Emotional intelligence, particularly when measured as a trait, shows a stronger correlation with mental health compared to when it is measured as an ability .
- Emotional intelligence moderates the relationship between stress and mental health, with higher EI linked to better coping mechanisms and lower levels of depression and suicidal ideation .
Cognitive Intelligence and Mental Health:
- Higher cognitive intelligence in youth is associated with a reduced risk of self-reported mental health problems, such as depression and sleep difficulties, in later life.
- However, higher cognitive intelligence is also linked with an increased risk of receiving a diagnosis of depression by the age of 50.
- Intelligence might act as a transdiagnostic risk factor for various forms of psychopathology, with higher IQ being inversely associated with internalizing and externalizing problems.
Biological Correlates of Intelligence:
- Studies have found that brain volume and head size are positively correlated with IQ, suggesting a biological substrate for cognitive ability.
- The efficiency of information processing, as indicated by reaction times, might link lower mental ability with earlier mortality, highlighting the importance of psychological factors in physical health.

Conclusion

The research indicates a complex relationship between intelligence and mental health. Higher emotional intelligence is generally associated with better mental health outcomes, while higher cognitive intelligence shows mixed results, being linked to both reduced and increased risks of certain mental health issues. The biological underpinnings of intelligence, such as brain volume and information processing efficiency, further complicate this relationship. Overall, intelligence, whether emotional or cognitive, plays a significant role in mental health, but the nature of this role can vary depending on the type of intelligence and the specific mental health outcome in question.

Is intelligence correlated with mental issues?

Summary

Consensus Meter

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

A meta-analytic investigation of the relationship between emotional intelligence and health

Higher emotional intelligence is associated with better mental, psychosomatic, and physical health, with the EQ-i measure showing a stronger association with mental health than other measures.

A comprehensive meta-analysis of the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and health

Emotional intelligence is strongly associated with better mental and psychosomatic health, with the TEIQue showing the strongest association with mental health.

Intelligence in youth and mental health at age 50

Higher intelligence in youth is associated with reduced self-reported mental health problems at age 50, but an increased risk of depression by the age of 50.

Emotional intelligence moderates the relationship between stress and mental health

Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a unique role in understanding the relationship between stress and mental health issues like depression, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation.

Exploring the Relationship of Emotional Intelligence with Physical and Psychological Health Functioning

Emotional intelligence is positively associated with overall health and negatively associated with poor general health and unhealthy behaviors like smoking and drinking.

Reaction Time Explains IQ's Association with Death

Lower IQ is associated with earlier death, suggesting reduced efficiency of information processing may link lower mental ability to earlier death.

Associations of Resting Heart Rate and Intelligence With General and Specific Psychopathology: A Prospective Population Study of 899,398 Swedish Men

Higher resting heart rate is associated with higher internalizing but lower externalizing psychopathology, suggesting intelligence may be a transdiagnostic risk factor for any form of psychopathology.

Emotional intelligence predicts adolescent mental health beyond personality and cognitive ability

Emotional intelligence, both ability and trait, significantly contributes to the prediction of depression and disruptive behavior in adolescents, with trait EI being the stronger predictor.

Associations of trait and ability emotional intelligence with performance on Theory of Mind tasks in an adult sample

Both trait and ability emotional intelligence are significantly correlated with social-cognitive Theory of Mind performance in adults, but not social-perceptual performance.

Relationships between factors of intelligence and brain volume

Brain volume and head size positively correlate with IQ, but not crystallized ability, and spatial imaging loading reduces this correlation.

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