Different resources for different times: sense of coherence and emotional intelligence as correlates of adaptation in six cohorts of medical students

Background: Sense of coherence (SOC) and emotional intelligence (EI) are both conceptualised as psychological resources protecting medical students from the demands of their training. Whether their associations with indicators of adaptation are stable across cohorts recruited at different time points has not previously been examined within a single multi-cohort study at one institution. Methods: = 1,595; 64% female; mean age 20.97, SD 1.52). SOC was measured with the 29-item Life Orientation Questionnaire (SOC-29) and EI with the Polish INTE (adaptation of the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test). Adaptation was indexed by general life evaluation (quality of life, 6-point scale), current well-being (4-point scale), academic stress (visual analogue scale 1-10), and satisfaction with medical studies (1-10). Results: In the 2014 cohort, SOC showed a clear gradient with quality of life (mean difference "wonderful" vs. "not very good" = 48.8 points, 95% CI: 26.0-71.6); no comparable gradient was detected in the 2015-2024 cohorts. Total EI was highest in the 2024 cohort (Md = 124) compared with 2015-2018 (Md = 118-119) and showed gradients with adaptation indicators in several cohorts. The SOC variance in 2015-2018 substantially reduces statistical power to detect associations in these cohorts. Conclusion: SOC and EI showed different patterns of association with indicators of adaptation across the six cohorts examined. This implies a need to shift the emphasis in mentoring programmes from building a global sense of meaning toward developing specific emotional competencies.