Emotional intelligence specifics of child guardianship and custody specialists

Context and relevance. Emotional intelligence is a multifaceted tool that significantly enhances the capabilities of specialists of guardianship and trusteeship authorities, enabling them to gain deeper insight into complex life situations, interact effectively with diverse populations, make more balanced decisions, maintain their own psychological well-being, and ultimately fulfill their critical mission of safeguarding children's rights and interests more effectively. Objective. To identify the specific features of emotional intelligence of specialists of guardianship and trusteeship authorities depending on the nature of their work. Hypothesis. The main hypothesis posits that emotional intelligence of specialists of guardianship and trusteeship authorities exhibits specific characteristics determined by the nature of their professional activities. The secondary hypothesis suggests that high emotional intelligence contributes to reducing the risk of burnout and compassion fatigue of these professionals. Methods and materials. The study involved 54 specialists of Guardianship and Custody Service of the Department of Education of the Omsk City Administration (N = 54; 100% female). The research employed psychodiagnostic instruments alongside qualitative and quantitative analytical methods. Results. The specific features of emotional intelligence of specialists of guardianship and trusteeship authorities were found to be independent of the nature of their professional duties. However, high self-efficacy was associated with a high capacity for understanding and managing emotions. Among professionals directly working with at-risk children and families, multiple inverse correlations emerged between burnout risk and emotional intelligence indicators. Conclusions. The characteristics of emotional intelligence of specialists of guardianship and trusteeship authorities do not depend on the specific content of their work. High emotional intelligence helps mitigate the risks of both burnout and compassion fatigue. The identified features of emotional intelligence underscore the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to assessing and developing the competencies of professionals in this field. Enhancing emotional intelligence — particularly skills related to understanding and regulating emotions — can substantially reduce professional strain and improve the quality of support provided.