The Role of Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence on Adolescents’ Well-Being and Secondary School Achievement

The present study aimed to determine how mindfulness relates to school achievement and well-being in adolescence and whether this relationship might be mediated by emotional intelligence (EI). Apart from examining the relationship between constructs, moderation interaction effects of gender were also tested. A sample of 597 Portuguese adolescents aged 15–17 years old (M_age = 16.9; SD = 1.11; 49.9% males), enrolled in secondary education, completed self-report measures of mindfulness (CAMM), emotional intelligence (TEIQue-ASF), and well-being (SWLS) in their Portuguese versions. Findings confirmed a positive and statistically significant relationship between mindfulness and EI. Regression analyses indicated that mindfulness reduced its influence on well-being and on school results when EI was added to the model, confirming the mediation hypothesis. Results indicated a positive and statistically significant relationship between EI and well-being. Adolescents with higher traits of mindfulness did not report better school results neither greater well-being. Variations across gender have not been observed. This study discloses several limitations which require a careful examination of the results. The findings are discussed considering the potential advantages of including social and emotional competencies in educational settings as a complement to the school curriculum.