Open Access

ARTICLE

Emotional Intelligence and Happiness in Malaysian Low-Income Adults Aged 40 Years and above: The Mediating Role of Perceived Stress

Hazwan Mat Din^1,2, Mohd Noor Norhayati^1,3,*, Nur Syahmina Rasudin⁴, Anusha Manoharan⁵, Beatrice Jee Ngee Ling⁶
1 School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu, Malaysia
2 Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
3 Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
4 School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kota Bharu, Malaysia
5 Bandar Botanik Health Clinic, Jalan Langat, Bandar Botanik, Klang, Malaysia
6 Kampung Bandar Health Clinic, Kuala Langat, Selangor, Malaysia
* Corresponding Author: Mohd Noor Norhayati. Email:

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.086094

Received 24 May 2026; Accepted 09 September 2026; Published online 17 September 2026

Abstract

Background: Recent evidence suggests that the prevalence of severe stress has increased among the Malaysian low-income population over the past decade, especially among adults aged 40 years and above. Therefore, there is a need to further understand the mechanisms associated with stress among the Malaysian low-income population. This study was conducted to examine the associations between emotional intelligence, perceived stress and happiness among Malaysian low-income adults aged 40 years and above. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study where participants were sampled from a public clinic under a national healthcare initiative for low-income population. The required sample size was determined based on established recommendations for mediation analysis using bootstrapping, with a sample of 462 participants required for this study. Validated Malay versions of the instruments were used, including the Adapted Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Subjective Happiness Scale. Data were analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and a mediation analysis was conducted through the PROCESS Macro and bootstrapping method. Results: Of the 459 questionnaires distributed, 427 were completed, yielding an overall response rate of 93.0%. Results indicated emotional intelligence was positively associated with subjective happiness (B = 0.012 p < 0.001) and negatively associated with perceived stress (B = −0.116, p < 0.001). Perceived stress was negatively associated with subjective happiness (B = −0.044, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis showed that perceived stress partially mediated the association between emotional intelligence and subjective happiness, accounting for 40.9% of the total effect. Conclusions: Perceived stress partially mediated the association between emotional intelligence and subjective happiness. Higher emotional intelligence was associated with greater happiness, partly through lower perceived stress. These findings highlight the potential value of interventions designed to strengthen emotional intelligence and alleviate perceived stress in promoting happiness among this population.

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Keywords

Emotional intelligence; perceived stress; happiness; low-income; Malaysia

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