Abstract
This research intends to examine the complicated interrelation between emotional intelligence, obsessive symptoms and body image disorder in patients having vitiligo. Vitiligo that is characterized by the white patches of depigmented skin, is psychologically a big challenge that ranges in its visibility. Employing a mixed-method approach, sample of the study consisting of (73) members (39 male and 34 female) were selected from dermatology clinics in Jeddah. Age criterion of 18 years or more. To data collection, Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue), Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), and The Body Image Avoidance Questionnaire (BIAQ), in addition to interviews were used. Findings presented that the middle-score of the general emotional intelligence was 5.8 out of 7 with a standard deviation of 1.2, obtained by using (TEIQue). Mean of Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) was 18.4, with 4.5 as its standard deviation. For body image disorder the mean score was 24.1 where the standard deviation was 5.9, which shows that the level of dissatisfaction in body image among respondents is on average moderate. The correlation matrix depicts the emotional intelligence and its ties to the obsessive-compulsive symptoms and the relationship between them. Moreover, it was also noted that there was a high positive correlation (r= 0.580) between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and body image disorder, thereby suggesting that severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms result in greater dissatisfaction with body image. The regression analysis was intended to yield a model and predict body image disorder based on variables that influence it.