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Introduction The COVID‐19 pandemic has presented a major challenge to mental health and emotional wellbeing. The present study examined whether training in emotional intelligence (EI) skills, provided before the pandemic, would serve as a protective factor for sustaining mental health during the COVID‐19 crisis. Methods Data came from a longitudinal study (N = 89) that was initially designed to test the effectiveness of an EI training program versus a non‐emotion‐focused placebo program. The design and timing of the study were such that baseline and posttraining assessments of depression and anxiety had been completed before the pandemic, and planned 6‐month follow‐ups were serendipitously scheduled to occur after the onset of the COVID‐19 crisis. This provided us with an unexpected real‐world opportunity to investigate whether EI training would bolster emotional resilience to the challenges posed by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Results Although mental health concerns generally increased after the start of the pandemic, individuals who completed the EI training program scored lower on depression, suicidal ideation, and state anxiety relative to individuals who had been assigned to the placebo training program. Conclusion Online EI training appears to be effective at sustaining critical aspects of mental health during a subsequent real‐life crisis.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is associated with a range of positive outcomes, and methods to increase EI are greatly needed. The present study tests the effectiveness of an online training program for increasing EI in adults. After an initial design and refinement process, 326 participants were randomly assigned to complete an EI training program or a placebo control training program. Participants in the EI training program showed increased scores pre- to post-training on standard self-report measures of EI (relative to placebo), indicating self-perceived improvements in recognizing emotions, understanding emotions, and managing the emotions of others. Participants in the EI training also showed increased scores in standard performance-based EI measures, demonstrating an increased ability to strategically use and manage emotions. Improvements to performance measures also remained significantly higher than baseline six months following the training. These results suggest that use of this novel online training program can improve EI.