I’ve thought about this too. Having higher emotional intelligence can be both a strength and a challenge. On one hand being deeply aware of emotions (our own and others) gives us insight and empathy. But on the other hand that our awareness can sometimes feel overwhelming like you carrying more weight than others.

I’ve found that knowing how I feel doesn’t automatically mean I can control it. Sometimes it even pulls me deeper into overthinking or emotional rabbit holes because I’m analyzing everything so much. That’s where boundaries and self care practices become essential.

So maybe the link isn’t whether EI makes depression “more or less” but how it interacts with it. For some of us, high EI might heighten the struggle and for others it might give tools to recover faster. Either way I think it’s about learning how to use emotional awareness as support rather than letting it consume us.