51
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Trautmann S, Wittgens C, Muehlhan M, Kanske P. The Role of Socio-Affective and Socio-Cognitive Mechanisms in the Processing of Witnessed Traumatic Events. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:830218. [PMID: 35360123 PMCID: PMC8963708 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.830218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Trautmann
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,ICPP Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Wittgens
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,ICPP Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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52
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Simon P, Nader-Grosbois N. Preschoolers' Empathy Profiles and Their Social Adjustment. Front Psychol 2021; 12:782500. [PMID: 34956001 PMCID: PMC8704132 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.782500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Preschoolers face new challenges in their social life: the development of social and emotional abilities in order to have positive relationships with peers and adults. Empathy, the ability to share and understand the emotions of others, contributes to this socio-emotional adjustment. This exploratory study examines mothers and fathers' perceptions of their child's empathy and individual factors, such as age, gender, and personality, which are related to cognitive and affective empathy in 63 typically developing preschoolers. Links between children's individual characteristics (empathy and personality) and their social adjustment on the one hand and risk of developing internalized vs. externalized behaviors on the other were also investigated. Parents completed four questionnaires about their child's empathy, personality, and social (mal)adjustment. The results showed that mothers and fathers perceived their children's cognitive and affective empathy, attention to others' feelings, and social actions (such as helping), in the same way, except for emotion contagion. Gender differences appeared specifically for some components of empathy: girls were said to pay more attention to others' emotions while boys had better cognitive empathy. Moreover, children's empathy as perceived by mothers or fathers was positively linked with their age, and with personality factors (extraversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, and openness to experience). Cognitive empathy and personality were found to be partly related to higher social skills and lower externalized and internalized behaviors. The results nuanced specific links between cognitive and affective empathy and social adjustment as well as behavior problems at preschool age. These results may have some implications for future research and prevention in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poline Simon
- Chair Baron Frère in Special Education, Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Nader-Grosbois
- Chair Baron Frère in Special Education, Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
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53
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Rong T, Sun X, Zhang Z, Li W, Deng Y, Wang Z, Meng M, Zhu Q, Jiang Y, Zhao J, Zhang Y, Wang G, Jiang F. The association between sleep and empathy in young preschoolers: A population study. J Sleep Res 2021; 31:e13530. [PMID: 34904310 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is vital for children's early socio-emotional development, particularly empathy. This study aimed to explore the associations between sleep and empathy in young preschoolers. A sample of 23,259 preschoolers (4.3 ± 0.3 years) at the entry year of preschool was recruited as part of the Shanghai Children's Health, Education and Lifestyle Evaluation-Preschool (SCHEDULE-P) study. Caregivers reported on child sleep, affective empathy, and cognitive empathy through the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire and the Griffith Empathy Measure. Ordinary least-square regression and quantile regression were performed for the associations between sleep and empathy. Sex differences were also investigated. Night sleep duration was negatively associated with affective empathy (β = -0.35, p < 0.001), and positively associated with cognitive empathy (β = 0.41, p < 0.001). Longer nap duration was associated with higher affective empathy (β = 0.28, p < 0.001). Sleep disturbances were positively associated with affective empathy (β = 0.04, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with cognitive empathy (β = -0.09, p < 0.001). These associations were generally stronger in children at higher empathy quantiles and also those at the 10th cognitive empathy quantile. The associations between sleep and affective empathy were mainly contributed by girls, and were more common in boys in terms of cognitive empathy, particularly at the 10th and the 30th quantiles. In conclusion, longer night sleep duration and fewer sleep disturbances are associated with a more mature empathy pattern in young preschoolers. The associations are more prominent in children at the higher end of the empathy spectrum, and vary by sex. These findings highlight the importance to promote sleep health in young children for optimal socio-emotional development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingyu Rong
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoning Sun
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Zichen Zhang
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen Li
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yujiao Deng
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zijing Wang
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Meng
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Zhu
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanrui Jiang
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Zhao
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Child Health Advocacy Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunting Zhang
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Child Health Advocacy Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guanghai Wang
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Fan Jiang
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai, China
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54
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The neural basis of authenticity recognition in laughter and crying. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23750. [PMID: 34887461 PMCID: PMC8660868 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03131-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Deciding whether others' emotions are genuine is essential for successful communication and social relationships. While previous fMRI studies suggested that differentiation between authentic and acted emotional expressions involves higher-order brain areas, the time course of authenticity discrimination is still unknown. To address this gap, we tested the impact of authenticity discrimination on event-related potentials (ERPs) related to emotion, motivational salience, and higher-order cognitive processing (N100, P200 and late positive complex, the LPC), using vocalised non-verbal expressions of sadness (crying) and happiness (laughter) in a 32-participant, within-subject study. Using a repeated measures 2-factor (authenticity, emotion) ANOVA, we show that N100's amplitude was larger in response to authentic than acted vocalisations, particularly in cries, while P200's was larger in response to acted vocalisations, particularly in laughs. We suggest these results point to two different mechanisms: (1) a larger N100 in response to authentic vocalisations is consistent with its link to emotional content and arousal (putatively larger amplitude for genuine emotional expressions); (2) a larger P200 in response to acted ones is in line with evidence relating it to motivational salience (putatively larger for ambiguous emotional expressions). Complementarily, a significant main effect of emotion was found on P200 and LPC amplitudes, in that the two were larger for laughs than cries, regardless of authenticity. Overall, we provide the first electroencephalographic examination of authenticity discrimination and propose that authenticity processing of others' vocalisations is initiated early, along that of their emotional content or category, attesting for its evolutionary relevance for trust and bond formation.
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55
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Peplak J, Klemfuss JZ, Yates TM. Parent-Adolescent Conversations About COVID-19 Influence Adolescents' Empathic Concern and Adherence to Health Protective Behaviors. J Adolesc Health 2021; 69:925-932. [PMID: 34688553 PMCID: PMC8515378 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This longitudinal investigation assessed how the frequency of parent-adolescent conversations about COVID-19, moderated by adolescents' stress, influenced adolescents' empathic concern and adherence to health protective behaviors (HPBs) throughout the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Participants were 181 adolescents (Mage = 15.23 years; 51% girls; 47% Latinx) and their parents. Frequency of parent-adolescent conversations about COVID-19 (i.e., pandemic-related symptoms, health behaviors, and social effects), empathic concern toward vulnerable others, and adolescent HPBs were assessed via surveys in the first months of the pandemic, and empathic concern and HPBs were assessed again nine months later. RESULTS Results revealed that more frequent parent-adolescent conversations early in the pandemic predicted increased adherence to HPBs throughout the pandemic when adolescents reported low stress (direct effect), but conversation frequency predicted decreased adherence to HPBs via reduced empathic concern when adolescents reported high stress (indirect effect). CONCLUSIONS Parents and other socialization agents, such as teachers, should be sensitive to adolescents' stress before engaging them in frequent conversations about the pandemic to mitigate the potential negative impact these conversations may have on adolescents' empathic concern and adherence to HPBs. Decreasing adolescents' stress may be an initial step in promoting effective message transference. Collective action (including wearing masks and receiving the vaccine) remains critical to overcoming COVID-19. The current study contributes to our understanding of the processes underlying adolescents' adherence to recommended HPBs, which is critical as pandemic fatigue and stress continue to rise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Peplak
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California.
| | - J Zoe Klemfuss
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, California
| | - Tuppett M Yates
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, California
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56
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Hastings PD, Ugarte E, Mashash M, Marceau K, Natsuaki MN, Shirtcliff EA, Zahn-Waxler C, Klimes-Dougan B. The codevelopment of adolescents' and parents' anxiety and depression: Moderating influences of youth gender and psychophysiology. Depress Anxiety 2021; 38:1234-1244. [PMID: 34110070 DOI: 10.1002/da.23183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
METHODS In a 2-year longitudinal study of 220 families, we examined how youth gender and adrenocortical and parasympathetic activity moderated reciprocal, bidirectional relations between parent and youth anxiety and depression problems. RESULTS Maternal anxiety predicted subsequent youth anxiety and depression. Maternal depression predicted youth anxiety and, for daughters and youth with low adrenocortical reactivity, youth depression. Youth depression predicted maternal depression only for youth with high adrenocortical reactivity. There were no associations between paternal and youth psychopathology. DISCUSSION Examining youth gender and psychophysiological characteristics that shape the nature of bidirectional influences may inform efforts to identify families at heightened risk for intergenerational transmission of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Hastings
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Elisa Ugarte
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Meital Mashash
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Kristine Marceau
- Department of Human Development & Family Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Misaki N Natsuaki
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | | | - Carolyn Zahn-Waxler
- Department of Psychology and Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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57
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Kowalski CM, Rogoza R, Saklofske DH, Schermer JA. Dark triads, tetrads, tents, and cores: Why navigate (research) the jungle of dark personality models without a compass (criterion)? Acta Psychol (Amst) 2021; 221:103455. [PMID: 34864320 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This comprehensive review summarizes and evaluates the present state of the Dark Triad research literature (or more broadly, the dark personality trait literature), and as such serves both a pedagogical purpose, by providing an introduction or primer on the dark personality literature and a scientific purpose by directing future research on key issues that still have not been sufficiently addressed. In this review, we discuss and critique current operational conceptualizations of what it means for a personality trait to be classified as 'dark'. Also discussed is the Dark Core, as well as quantitative issues such as limitations of commonly used statistical treatments, such as multivariate analyses, bifactor modeling, and composite measures, and proposed solutions to some of these issues. Based on a comprehensive and critical appraisal of the literature, future directions are suggested to drive the dark trait field towards a more organized, parsimonious, and productive future.
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58
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Sevincok D, Avcil S, Ozbek MM. The relationship between theory of mind and sluggish cognitive tempo in school-age children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1137-1152. [PMID: 34237232 DOI: 10.1177/13591045211030665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is considered as a cognitive-emotional style. Theory of mind (ToM) skills form the basis of human cognition and social behavior. The aim of this study is to contribute to SCT literature by examining the relationship between SCT and cognitive and affective ToM in school-age children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Fifty school-age children with ADHD (43 boys and seven girls) and 40 typically developing children (34 boys and six girls) were assessed using Parent-rated Barkley Child Attention Scale and Child Behavior Checklist/6-18, cognitive (first- and second-order ToM) and affective ToM (Reading Mind in the Eyes Test and Unexpected Outcomes Test (UOT)) tests. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the variables that may predict SCT levels in children with ADHD. Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder-inattention (Exp(B) = .334, p = .027), internalization (Exp(B) = .305, p = .006), and UOT scores (Exp(B) = .933, p = .015) significantly predicted SCT severity in children with ADHD. SCT severity was significantly associated with impaired cognitive ToM skills as measured by second-order ToM (Exp(B) = 1.933, p = .045). Our findings may indicate that affective ToM developing with age, and impaired cognitive ToM skills are associated with increasing SCT severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doga Sevincok
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Agri Training and Research Hospital, Agri, Turkey
| | - Sibelnur Avcil
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 64036Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey
| | - Mutlu M Ozbek
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kars 4264Harakani State Hospital, Kars, Turkey
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59
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Morgan JK, Santosa H, Fridley RM, Conner KK, Hipwell AE, Forbes EE, Huppert TJ. Postpartum Depression Is Associated With Altered Neural Connectivity Between Affective and Mentalizing Regions During Mother-Infant Interactions. Front Glob Womens Health 2021; 2:744649. [PMID: 34816247 PMCID: PMC8593996 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2021.744649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there has been growing interest in mood-related neural alterations in women in the initial weeks postpartum, recent work has demonstrated that postpartum depression often lingers for months or years following birth. However, research evaluating the impact of depression on maternal brain function during mother-infant interactions in the late postpartum period is lacking. The current study tested the hypothesis that depressive symptoms at 12-months postpartum are associated with neural alterations in affective and social neural regions, using near-infrared spectroscopy during in vivo mother-infant interactions. Participants were 23 birth mothers of 12-month-old infants (60% boys). While undergoing near-infrared spectroscopy, mothers engaged in an ecologically valid interactive task in which they looked at an age-appropriate book with their infants. Mothers also reported on their depressive symptoms in the past week and were rated on their observed levels of maternal sensitivity during mother-infant play. Greater depressive severity at 12-months postpartum was related to lower connectivity between the right temporoparietal junction and the lateral prefrontal cortex, but greater connectivity between the right temporoparietal junction and anterior medial prefrontal cortex during mother-infant interaction. Given the putative functions of these neural regions within the maternal brain network, our findings suggest that in the context of depression, postpartum mothers' mentalizing about her infants' thoughts and feelings may be related to lower ability to express and regulate her own emotions, but greater ability to engage in emotional bonding with her infant. Future work should explore how connectivity among these regions is associated with longitudinal changes in maternal behavior, especially in the context of changes in mothers' depressive symptoms (e.g., with treatment) over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith K. Morgan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Hendrik Santosa
- Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Rachel M. Fridley
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Kaetlyn K. Conner
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Alison E. Hipwell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Erika E. Forbes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Theodore J. Huppert
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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60
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Yan Z, Zeng X, Su J, Zhang X. The dark side of empathy: Meta-analysis evidence of the relationship between empathy and depression. Psych J 2021; 10:794-804. [PMID: 34494388 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Regardless of a large amount of literature, whether empathy closely relates to depression is far from conclusive. The present study collected previous evidence and performed a meta-analysis to investigate the correlation between empathy and depression. By searching databases, 21 studies and 48 effect sizes were collected. Results showed that empathy was not correlated to depression (r = .006, p = .87). However, subgroup analyses showed that while the relationship between affective empathy and depression was significantly positively correlated (r = .108, p < .01), cognitive empathy was not (r = -.03, p = .26). Additionally, the relationship between empathy and depression varied during development, with a positive correlation in adolescence (r = .084, p < .01) and negative correlation in older adults (r = -.191, p < .001). Results implied that affective empathy might be one of the risk factors for depression, and higher affective empathy might mean more vulnerability to depression. Further studies would help by examining when and how this relationship builds, as well as the contributing factors of its development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Yan
- Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.,Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiao Zeng
- School of Educational Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Jinlong Su
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoxi Zhang
- Department of Normal, Jiujiang Vocational University, Jiujiang, China
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61
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Lin X, Chen H, Tan Y, Yang X, Chi P. The empathy questionnaire for children and adolescents (EmQue-CA) in Chinese: Psychometric properties and measurement invariance. Asian J Psychiatr 2021; 63:102775. [PMID: 34325250 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2021.102775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The current study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the EmQue-CA, as well as the measurement invariance across gender. A sample of 1107 students (498 boys and 609 girls) enrolled in fourth grade to twelfth grade (Mage = 13.29; SD = 2.22) participated in the current study. Results indicated that the Chinese version had a similar three-factor model with two items deleted from the original form. The reliability, including internal consistency and test-retest reliability, of the Chinese version of the EmQue-CA was acceptable. Concurrent validity was assessed by examining the correlations of the EmQue-CA with the Basic Empathy Scale and the prosocial behavior subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, with significant associations delivered. The results of convergent validity demonstrated strong correlations of the EmQue-CA subscales with callous unemotional traits and bullying. For the measurement invariance across gender, configural invariance and metric invariance were supported by the data, while scalar invariance failed. Overall, the EmQue-CA is a valuable tool for assessing empathy in Chinese children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuyun Lin
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Hui Chen
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Yuxin Tan
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Xiujie Yang
- School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Peilian Chi
- Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, 100875, China.
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62
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What we have learnt about trauma, loss and grief for children in response to COVID-19. Paediatr Respir Rev 2021; 39:16-21. [PMID: 34229965 PMCID: PMC8437675 DOI: 10.1016/j.prrv.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The disruption of daily life resulting from COVID-19 and its precautions has taken an enormous emotional toll on children and families. The consequences of disrupted schooling, changed social interactions and altered family dynamics has had some unanticipated positives such as improved on-line educational upskilling and personal resilience. However, the potential longer term implications for educational outcomes, economic impacts of job loss and prolonged financial insecurity, physical wellbeing and mental health remain unclear. The potential for post-traumatic stress disorders from what is experienced by children with imposed isolation from friends and extended family, domestic violence and death of relatives remains concerning. Confronting images and stories relayed through social media and the popular press will challenge children's views of safety, security, trust and potentially rob them of much of the innocence of youth. In an overwhelming global response to the "adult" problems of the COVID-19 pandemic, this article reflects on the consequences of trauma, loss and grief through the perspective of children and how they may alter their view of the world.
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63
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Baiano C, Job X, Santangelo G, Auvray M, Kirsch LP. Interactions between interoception and perspective-taking: Current state of research and future directions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:252-262. [PMID: 34400177 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Interoception, the sense of the physiological state of the body, and perspective-taking, the ability to take another's point of view, are two fundamental components contributing to our perception and interaction with the external world. However, whether the perception of our inner body influences how we perceive the external world and other people remains poorly understood. Here, we review recent behavioural and neuroimaging evidence investigating the links between dimensions of interoception (i.e., accuracy, sensibility and awareness) and perspective-taking (i.e., affective, cognitive and visual). So far, only a limited subset of these dimensions has been investigated together and the results suggest that interoceptive abilities may only interact with perspective-taking when embodied mental transformations are required. Furthermore, mainly the emotional aspects of perspective-taking are related to interoception, influencing the ability to empathise with others. Future research should systematically investigate the links between all dimensions of interoception and perspective-taking to provide full understanding of the specific role interoception has on how we perceive the world and take another's point of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Baiano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy.
| | - Xavier Job
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Gabriella Santangelo
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Malika Auvray
- Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
| | - Louise P Kirsch
- Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
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64
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Bray KO, Anderson V, Pantelis C, Pozzi E, Schwartz OS, Vijayakumar N, Richmond S, Deane C, Allen NB, Whittle S. Associations between cognitive and affective empathy and internalizing symptoms in late childhood. J Affect Disord 2021; 290:245-253. [PMID: 34010749 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empathy is a multidimensional construct, which includes cognitive and affective components. Studies in adults have demonstrated that both cognitive and affective empathy are associated with anxious and depressive symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine these associations in childhood. METHODS Participants were 127 9- and 10-year-old children, recruited from the community. Self-report measures of cognitive and affective empathy, and internalizing symptoms were administered, as well as a task-based measure of cognitive empathy. RESULTS Canonical correlation analysis demonstrated that components of affective empathy, specifically affective sharing and empathic distress, were associated with internalizing (particularly social anxiety) symptoms (Rc = 0.63, non-parametric p < .001). Cognitive empathy was not associated with internalizing symptoms. LIMITATIONS Most of our findings were based around self-report measures of empathy, which may not accurately reflect empathy ability. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggests that children who share each other's emotions strongly are more likely to experience anxiety, particularly of a social nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine O Bray
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC), Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Vicki Anderson
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC), Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Elena Pozzi
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC), Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia; Orygen, Melbourne Australia, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Orli S Schwartz
- Orygen, Melbourne Australia, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Sally Richmond
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Camille Deane
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC), Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
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65
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Giusti L, Mammarella S, Salza A, Ussorio D, Bianco D, Casacchia M, Roncone R. Heart and Head: Profiles and Predictors of Self-Assessed Cognitive and Affective Empathy in a Sample of Medical and Health Professional Students. Front Psychol 2021; 12:632996. [PMID: 34220610 PMCID: PMC8242236 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.632996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
For medical and health professions, students learning to respond to others' distress with well-regulated empathy is an important developmental skill linked to positive health outcomes and professionalism. Our study aimed to investigate the sociodemographic, psychological, and psychosocial differences between medical (MS) and health professional (HPS) students and their empathic abilities, since both populations share common stressors, namely, dealing with suffering people. Additionally, we were interested in assessing the psychological and psychosocial predictors of empathy of MS compared to HPS. One hundred thirty MS and 86 HPS were administered the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Interpersonal Reactivity Index, Integrative Hope Scale, and UCLA Loneliness Scale. The two groups showed differences in their contextual characteristics, with the HPS group having larger families, lower parents' education levels, and lower family income compared to the MS group. In both groups, ~15% of students reported previous contact for psychological problems. A higher proportion of HPS (23.3%) reported depressive symptoms than MS (10%), and female HPS reported more intense feelings of loneliness than other subgroups of students. No differences were found between the two groups in self-assessed cognitive and affective empathy. In both groups, women showed greater affective scores than men and, at the same time, seemed to be particularly prone to personal distress. The cognitive empathic dimension of “perspective taking” was predicted by young age (OR, 612; 95% CI, 1.395–15.242) and the overall socioeconomic status (OR, 3.175; 95% CI, 1.154–8.734) of the HPS. Self-assessed affective competence was predicted by female gender (OR, 3.112; 95% CI, 1.328–7.288), depressive symptomatology (OR, 2.777; 95% CI, 1.004–7.681), higher mother's level of education (OR, 2.764; 95% CI, 1.147–6.659), and feeling of hope related to social relationships (OR, 1.367; 95% CI, 1.152–1.622). Risk factors for poor self-assessed affective emphatic skills were previous contact for psychological problems (OR, 3.263; 95% CI, 1.238–8.601) and feelings of loneliness (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.09–1.276). Our findings emphasize the need to test psychosocial models to better understand empathic skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Giusti
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Silvia Mammarella
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Anna Salza
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Donatella Ussorio
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Denise Bianco
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Massimo Casacchia
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Rita Roncone
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.,Hospital S. Salvatore, University Unit Rehabilitation Treatment, Early Interventions in Mental Health, L'Aquila, Italy
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66
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Helping as prosocial practice: Longitudinal relations among children's shyness, helping behavior, and empathic response. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 209:105154. [PMID: 34087602 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Although shyness has been found to be a concurrent constraint on young children's empathy and instrumental helping, there is limited evidence to suggest that this temperamental profile has longitudinal effects on prosocial behaviors. Here, we examined the concurrent and longitudinal relations between children's shyness and prosocial behaviors, as well as the intervening impact of instrumental helping behavior on later empathic response in typically developing children (N = 86; 45 female). Shyness was coded from direct observations and reported by parents at Time 1 (Mage = 54.3 months, SD = 2.9), Time 2 (Mage = 66.5 months, SD = 2.8), and Time 3 (Mage = 77.9 months, SD = 2.8), helping behavior was assessed at Time 2, and data on cognitive and affective empathy were collected at Time 3. Increases in shyness resulted in longitudinal reductions of affective empathy but not cognitive empathy or instrumental helping. As well, Time 2 helping behavior mediated the relation between Time 1 shyness and Time 3 affective empathy and, to some extent, the relation between Time 2 shyness and Time 3 affective empathy. These findings suggest that shyness concurrently impedes early helping behaviors, and that this withdrawal may contribute to reductions in shy children's prosocial learning opportunities that inform later empathic responses.
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67
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Chen H, Meza JI, Yan Y, Wu Q, Lin X. Parental attachment and depression in adolescents: Moderation mediation model of empathy and gender. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01698-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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68
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Michelini G, Palumbo IM, DeYoung CG, Latzman RD, Kotov R. Linking RDoC and HiTOP: A new interface for advancing psychiatric nosology and neuroscience. Clin Psychol Rev 2021; 86:102025. [PMID: 33798996 PMCID: PMC8165014 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) and the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) represent major dimensional frameworks proposing two alternative approaches to accelerate progress in the way psychopathology is studied, classified, and treated. RDoC is a research framework rooted in neuroscience aiming to further the understanding of transdiagnostic biobehavioral systems underlying psychopathology and ultimately inform future classifications. HiTOP is a dimensional classification system, derived from the observed covariation among symptoms of psychopathology and maladaptive traits, which seeks to provide more informative research and treatment targets (i.e., dimensional constructs and clinical assessments) than traditional diagnostic categories. This article argues that the complementary strengths of RDoC and HiTOP can be leveraged in order to achieve their respective goals. RDoC's biobehavioral framework may help elucidate the underpinnings of the clinical dimensions included in HiTOP, whereas HiTOP may provide psychometrically robust clinical targets for RDoC-informed research. We present a comprehensive mapping between dimensions included in RDoC (constructs and subconstructs) and HiTOP (spectra and subfactors) based on narrative review of the empirical literature. The resulting RDoC-HiTOP interface sheds light on the biobehavioral correlates of clinical dimensions and provides a broad set of dimensional clinical targets for etiological and neuroscientific research. We conclude with future directions and practical recommendations for using this interface to advance clinical neuroscience and psychiatric nosology. Ultimately, we envision that this RDoC-HiTOP interface has the potential to inform the development of a unified, dimensional, and biobehaviorally-grounded psychiatric nosology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Michelini
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States of America.
| | - Isabella M Palumbo
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, United States of America
| | - Colin G DeYoung
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States of America
| | - Robert D Latzman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, United States of America
| | - Roman Kotov
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11790, United States of America
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69
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Petrocchi S, Bernardi S, Malacrida R, Traber R, Gabutti L, Grignoli N. Affective empathy predicts self-isolation behaviour acceptance during coronavirus risk exposure. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10153. [PMID: 33980946 PMCID: PMC8115029 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89504-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Health risk exposure during the global COVID-19 pandemic has required people to adopt self-isolation. Public authorities have therefore had the difficult task of sustaining such protective but stressful behaviour. Evidence shows that besides egoistic drives, the motivation for self-isolation behaviour could be altruistic. However, the type and role of prosocial motivation in the current pandemic is underestimated and its interaction with risk exposure and psychological distress is largely unknown. Here we show that affective empathy for the most vulnerable predicts acceptance of lockdown measures. In two retrospective studies, one with a general population and one with COVID-19 positive patients, we found that (1) along with health risk exposure, affective empathy is a predictor of acceptance of lockdown measures (2) social covariates and psychological distress have no significant impact. Our results support the need to focus on altruistic behaviours while informing the public instead of on fear-inducing messages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Petrocchi
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.
- Laboratory of Applied Psychology and Intervention, Department of History Society and Human Studies, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy.
| | - Sheila Bernardi
- Sasso Corbaro Medical Humanities Foundation, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Malacrida
- Sasso Corbaro Medical Humanities Foundation, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Rafael Traber
- Cantonal Sociopsychiatric Organisation, Public Health Division, Department of Health and Social Care, Repubblica e Cantone Ticino, Mendrisio, Switzerland
| | - Luca Gabutti
- Department of Internal Medicine, Regional Hospital of Bellinzona and Valleys, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona and Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Nicola Grignoli
- Cantonal Sociopsychiatric Organisation, Public Health Division, Department of Health and Social Care, Repubblica e Cantone Ticino, Mendrisio, Switzerland.
- Department of Internal Medicine, Regional Hospital of Bellinzona and Valleys, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona and Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.
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70
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Kuis DJ, van de Giessen T, de Jong S, Sportel BE, Boonstra N, van Donkersgoed R, Lysaker PH, Hasson-Ohayon I, Pijnenborg GHM. Empathy and Its Relationship With Social Functioning in Individuals at Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:730092. [PMID: 34858222 PMCID: PMC8632546 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.730092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Social functioning is often impaired in the ultra-high-risk (UHR) phase of psychosis. There is some evidence that empathy is also impaired in this phase and that these impairments may underlie difficulties in social functioning. The main aim of this study was to investigate whether cognitive and affective empathy are lower in people in the UHR phase of psychosis in comparison to healthy controls, and whether possible impairments have the same magnitude as in people with schizophrenia. A second aim was to examine whether there is a relationship between empathy and social functioning in individuals in the UHR phase. Method: Forty-three individuals at UHR for psychosis, 92 people with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder, and 49 persons without a psychiatric disorder completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE), and Faux Pas as instruments to measure empathy. The Time Use survey was used to measure social functioning. MAN(C)OVA was used to analyse differences between groups on empathy and social functioning, and correlations were calculated between empathy measures and social functioning for each group. Results: The UHR group presented significantly lower levels of self-reported cognitive empathy than the healthy controls, but not compared to patients with SSD, while performance-based cognitive empathy was unimpaired in the UHR group. On the affective measures, we found that people with UHR and patients with SSD had significantly higher levels of self-reported distress in interpersonal settings compared to healthy controls. In the UHR group, perspective-taking was negatively associated with time spent on structured social activities. In the SSD group, we found that structured social activities were positively associated with perspective-taking and negatively associated with personal distress in interactions with others. Lastly, in people without mental illness, social activities were positively associated with performance-based perspective-taking. Conclusion: Impairments in subjective cognitive empathy appear to be present in the UHR phase, suggesting that difficulties in interpreting the thoughts and feelings of others precede the onset of psychotic disorders. This can inform future interventions in the UHR phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan Jan Kuis
- Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg (GGZ) Drenthe Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychotic Disorders, GGZ Drenthe, Assen, Netherlands
| | - Tara van de Giessen
- Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg (GGZ) Drenthe Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychotic Disorders, GGZ Drenthe, Assen, Netherlands
| | - Steven de Jong
- Lentis Research, Lentis Psychiatric Institute, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Bouwina Esther Sportel
- Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg (GGZ) Drenthe Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychotic Disorders, GGZ Drenthe, Assen, Netherlands
| | - Nynke Boonstra
- Research Group Care and Innovation in Psychiatry, NHL Stenden University for Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, Netherlands.,KieN Early Intervention Service, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
| | - Rozanne van Donkersgoed
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences (BSS), University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Paul H Lysaker
- Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | | | - Gerdina Hendrika Maria Pijnenborg
- Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg (GGZ) Drenthe Mental Health Institute, Department of Psychotic Disorders, GGZ Drenthe, Assen, Netherlands.,Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences (BSS), University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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71
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Cognitive and emotional empathy after stimulation of brain mineralocorticoid and NMDA receptors in patients with major depression and healthy controls. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:2155-2161. [PMID: 32722659 PMCID: PMC7785026 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0777-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) are predominantly expressed in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Both brain areas are associated with social cognition, which includes cognitive empathy (ability to understand others' emotions) and emotional empathy (ability to empathize with another person). MR stimulation improves memory and executive functioning in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls, and leads to glutamate-mediated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) signaling. We examined whether the beneficial effects of MR stimulation can be extended to social cognition (empathy), and whether DCS would have additional beneficial effects. In this double-blind placebo-controlled single-dose study, we randomized 116 unmedicated MDD patients (mean age 34 years, 78% women) and 116 age-, sex-, and education years-matched healthy controls to four conditions: MR stimulation (fludrocortisone (0.4 mg) + placebo), NMDA-R stimulation (placebo + D-cycloserine (250 mg)), MR and NMDA-R stimulation (both drugs), or placebo. Cognitive and emotional empathy were assessed by the Multifaceted Empathy Test. The study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03062150). MR stimulation increased cognitive empathy across groups, whereas NMDA-R stimulation decreased cognitive empathy in MDD patients only. Independent of receptor stimulation, cognitive empathy did not differ between groups. Emotional empathy was not affected by MR or NMDA-R stimulation. However, MDD patients showed decreased emotional empathy compared with controls but, according to exploratory analyses, only for positive emotions. We conclude that MR stimulation has beneficial effects on cognitive empathy in MDD patients and healthy controls, whereas NMDA-R stimulation decreased cognitive empathy in MDD patients. It appears that MR rather than NMDA-R are potential treatment targets to modulate cognitive empathy in MDD.
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72
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Berg SK, Bedwell JS, Dvorak RD, Tone EB. Higher Social Anxiety Severity Predicts Better Cognitive Empathy Performance in Women but Not Men. Psychol Rep 2020; 124:2549-2566. [PMID: 33050799 DOI: 10.1177/0033294120965496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Findings regarding relationships between social anxiety and subtypes of empathy have been mixed, and one study suggested that this may be due to moderation by biological sex. The present study examined whether accounting for general anxiety and biological sex clarifies these relationships. Undergraduates (N = 701, 76% female) completed online self-report measures of cognitive and affective empathy, social and general anxiety severity, and a behavioral measure of cognitive empathy (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task; MIE). Path analysis examined relationships among social and general anxiety severity and affective and cognitive empathy. Model modification indices showed a significant influence of sex on the path from social anxiety severity to MIE accuracy. When the model was re-estimated with this path freed, more socially anxious women, but not men, showed greater MIE accuracy. Across both sexes, general anxiety severity related negatively to self-reported and behavioral (MIE) cognitive empathy. Affective empathy did not relate to either type of anxiety. The use of path analysis to simultaneously account for overlapping variance among measures of anxiety and empathy helps clarify earlier mixed findings on relationships between social anxiety and empathy subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robert D Dvorak
- Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Erin B Tone
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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73
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Abstract
This study assessed youth anxiety about political issues and associated characteristics. Caregivers (N = 374) were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk and reported on their child's anxiety about 15 voting issues covered in the media since the 2016 presidential election as well as their child's psychological functioning and their own trait anxiety. For the majority of voting issues, over 50% of caregivers indicated that their child experienced at least one related worry; worries about the environment and gun violence were most common. Youth empathy and intolerance of uncertainty were each positively associated with worry about political issues but did not predict such worry after accounting for the effect of youth trait anxiety. Youth with clinical levels of generalized anxiety experienced more severe worry about political issues than did youth with minimal/subthreshold anxiety. Future studies should identify strategies for mitigating the negative impact of political news on youth with anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Caporino
- Department of Psychology, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20016, USA.
| | - Shannon Exley
- Department of Psychology, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20016, USA
| | - Robert D Latzman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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74
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MacGowan TL, Schmidt LA. Getting to the heart of childhood empathy: Relations with shyness and respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:e22035. [PMID: 32945552 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Although prior studies have found that shyness and empathy are inversely related and that well-regulated children tend to express empathic behaviors more often, little work has assessed combinations of these factors in predicting affective and cognitive empathy in early childhood. The authors examined relations among shyness, resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and observed affective and cognitive empathy in a sample of 130 typically developing children (Mage = 63.5 months, SD = 12.2; 62 males). Shyness was assessed by observing children's behaviors during a self-presentation task, and this observed measure was then combined with a maternal report of children's temperamental shyness. Children's shyness predicted lower levels of both affective and cognitive responses to an experimenter feigning an injury. Resting RSA moderated the relation between children's shyness and observed empathy such that relatively higher shyness combined with lower RSA levels conferred the lowest levels of cognitive empathy. Children who were relatively low in shyness exhibited similar levels of cognitive empathy across different levels of RSA. However, this moderation was not found when predicting children's affective empathy. Our results suggest that not all shy children are alike in terms of their empathic behaviors: shy children who are physiologically dysregulated appear to have difficulties exploring and/or processing others' pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taigan L MacGowan
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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75
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The role of empathy in the mechanism linking parental psychological control to emotional reactivities to COVID-19 pandemic: A pilot study among Chinese emerging adults. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2020; 168:110399. [PMID: 32982001 PMCID: PMC7500908 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its worldwide spread have brought economic, social and personal stress. To better understand human adjustments to this public health emergency and its underlying mechanism, the relationship between perceived parental psychological control in emerging adults and individual's emotional reactivity to COVID-19 as well as the role of empathy was examined. The study was conducted among 445 emerging adults using questionnaires measuring parental psychological control, empathy, and emotional reactivities in the initial stage of COVID-19. Results revealed that parental psychological control conferred risks for individual's increased negative emotional reactivity to this pandemic. Moreover, our findings shedlight on personal distress as a mechanism through which parental psychological control induces negative emotional reactivities. Although no direct effect between parental psychological control and positive emotional reactivity was found, personal distress and perspective taking mediate the association in an opposite way. Findings have implications for predicting and intervening mental health problems in COVID-19 pandemic and future public health emergency.
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76
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Huang H, Liu Y, Su Y. What Is the Relationship Between Empathy and Mental Health in Preschool Teachers: The Role of Teaching Experience. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1366. [PMID: 32733317 PMCID: PMC7358569 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to delineate the characteristics of empathy and mental health in preschool teachers and to examine the role of empathy in preschool teachers’ mental health. The sample in this study consisted of 4348 preschool teachers, who were divided into four groups according to their years of teaching experience (less than 2, 2–5, 5–10, and more than 10 years). The Chinese version of the Symptom Checklist 90 was used to measure the mental health symptoms of the participants, and the Chinese version of the interpersonal reactivity index was employed to assess various aspects of the participants’ empathy. The results indicated that most symptoms increased as teaching experience increased, independent of the effect of age. The study also found that the four dimensions of empathy showed different trends across the four teaching experience groups: fantasy remained stable, empathic concerns and perspective taking showed decreasing trends, and personal distress showed an increasing trend. Moreover, the present research found a relatively complex relationship between empathy and mental health in preschool teachers: whereas fantasy and personal distress positively predicted mental health symptoms in preschool teachers, perspective taking and empathic concern negatively correlated with most of the symptoms. It seems that empathy contains both risk and protective factors for individuals’ mental health, and these factors are affected by years of teaching experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heqing Huang
- College of Preschool Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanchun Liu
- College of Education Science, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi, China
| | - Yanjie Su
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Bianchi D, Lonigro A, Baiocco R, Baumgartner E, Laghi F. Social Anxiety and Peer Communication Quality During Adolescence: The Interaction of Social Avoidance, Empathic Concern and Perspective Taking. CHILD & YOUTH CARE FORUM 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10566-020-09562-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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78
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The role of social cognition skills and social determinants of health in predicting symptoms of mental illness. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:165. [PMID: 32513944 PMCID: PMC7280528 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0852-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Social factors, such as social cognition skills (SCS) and social determinants of health (SDH), may be vital for mental health, even when compared with classical psycho-physical predictors (demographic, physical, psychiatric, and cognitive factors). Although major risk factors for psychiatric disorders have been previously assessed, the relative weight of SCS and SDH in relation to classical psycho-physical predictors in predicting symptoms of mental disorders remains largely unknown. In this study, we implemented multiple structural equation models (SEM) from a randomized sample assessed in the Colombian National Mental Health Survey of 2015 (CNMHS, n = 2947, females: 1348) to evaluate the role of SCS, SDH, and psycho-physical factors (totaling 17 variables) as predictors of mental illness symptoms (anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric symptoms). Specifically, we assessed the structural equation modeling of (a) SCS (emotion recognition and empathy skills); (b) SDH (including the experience of social adversities and social protective factors); (c) and classical psycho-physical factors, including psychiatric antecedents, physical-somatic factors (chronic diseases), and cognitive factors (executive functioning). Results revealed that the emotion recognition skills, social adverse factors, antecedents of psychiatric disorders and chronic diseases, and cognitive functioning were the best predictors of symptoms of mental illness. Moreover, SCS, particularly emotion recognition skills, and SDH (experiences of social adversities, familial, and social support networks) reached higher predictive values of symptoms than classical psycho-physical factors. Our study provides unprecedented evidence on the impact of social factors in predicting symptoms of mental illness and highlights the relevance of these factors to track early states of disease.
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Time flies faster when you're feeling blue: sad mood induction accelerates the perception of time in a temporal judgment task. Cogn Process 2020; 21:479-491. [PMID: 32206937 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-020-00966-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Investigating the interaction of mood and time perception has provided key information in the mechanisms that underlie cognition and emotion. However, much of the literature that has investigated the role of emotions in time perception has focused on the valence of stimuli, or correlational studies of self-reported mood. In the present study, 31 healthy undergraduates completed a temporal judgment task before and after an autobiographical sad mood induction procedure. In the temporal judgment task, participants identified whether a presented neutral stimulus was onscreen for the same duration as a target (2 s). Along with target trials, very short (1.25 s), short (1.6 s), long (2.25 s), and very long (3.125 s) trials were presented in random order and in equal proportion. Following mood induction, ratings of sadness and fear increased, but returned to baseline at the end of the study. After the mood induction, participants significantly increased temporal overestimation as participants were more likely to affirm short than long-duration trials as matching the target. These results indicate that transient changes in mood in otherwise healthy adults can accelerate the subjective experience of time. Sadness may increase physiological components of time perception that are related approach motivation.
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80
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Salo VC, Schunck SJ, Humphreys KL. Depressive symptoms in parents are associated with reduced empathy toward their young children. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230636. [PMID: 32203542 PMCID: PMC7089529 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While depression is typically associated with reduced levels of empathy, this association differs depending on how empathy is measured. Given the importance of empathy in the parent-child relationship, we sought to examine whether the associations between depression and dispositional empathy would also extend to empathy towards one's own child. METHODS Within a non-clinical sample of 150 parents of young children, we examined the associations between self-reported depressive symptoms, dispositional empathic tendencies, and empathy specifically toward their own children, and how these associations might differ based on parent gender. RESULTS Depressive symptoms were related to lower levels of cognitive and affective empathy, and higher levels of empathic distress. Over and above the association with dispositional empathy, depressive symptoms were associated with reduced levels of parents' affective empathy toward their own child. The associations between depressive symptoms and both dispositional and own-child specific empathy varied by parent gender. For fathers, depressive symptoms predicted own-child specific affective empathy, over and above dispositional affective empathy, while for mothers, depressive symptoms predicted own-child specific empathic distress, over and above dispositional empathic distress. CONCLUSIONS The current findings provide further indication that caregivers with elevated depression may engage in patterns of thoughts and behaviors that have implications for their interactions with their children. Parents' experienced empathy toward their own child may be one mechanism by which depression impacts the early caregiving environment, and thus may be an important target for intervention in improving the early caregiving experiences for children at elevated risk due to parental depression. Differences in cognitive and affective empathy found among those with depression may be even more pronounced in the thoughts and feelings towards one's own child, making this an important clinical target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia C. Salo
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Sara J. Schunck
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Kathryn L. Humphreys
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
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81
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Donohue MR, Tillman R, Perino MT, Whalen DJ, Luby J, Barch DM. Prevalence and correlates of maladaptive guilt in middle childhood. J Affect Disord 2020; 263:64-71. [PMID: 31818798 PMCID: PMC7448288 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maladaptive guilt can develop by age three and is associated with severe affective psychopathology in adolescents and adults. Yet, little is known about its prevalence prior to adolescence, or which children are at greatest risk of developing this symptom. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of maladaptive guilt in middle childhood. METHODS This study examined a large community sample of 9-to 10-year-old children (N = 4485) from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Maladaptive guilt was assessed through the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for DSM-5. Parental rejection, family conflict, and parental depression were assessed via questionnaires. RESULTS In depressed children, a 1-month prevalence of maladaptive guilt of 18.4% and a lifetime prevalence of 30.8% was found. Lifetime rates ranged from 1.8 to 4.1% in children with other psychiatric disorders. Cross-sectionally, maladaptive guilt was associated with lower family income-to-needs, greater family conflict, a history of maternal depression, and greater parental rejection. These findings held when controlling for children's depressive severity, indicating that these associations are specific to maladaptive guilt. LIMITATIONS Maladaptive guilt was assessed through one item, though many studies of maladaptive guilt measure the symptom in this manner. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that it may be beneficial for clinicians to assess for maladaptive guilt beyond the context of assessment for depression, particularly with children of low socioeconomic status and children of depressed mothers, whom this study suggests are at higher risk. Negative family climates and parenting might also be important targets of preventative interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Rose Donohue
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, Suite 2100, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Rebecca Tillman
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, Suite 2100, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michael T Perino
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, Suite 2100, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Diana J Whalen
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, Suite 2100, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joan Luby
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, Suite 2100, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, Suite 2100, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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82
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Neugebauer R, Wickramaratne P, Svob C, McClintock CH, Gameroff MJ, Miller L, Conway A. Contribution of religion/spirituality and major depressive disorder to altruism. J Affect Disord 2020; 262:16-22. [PMID: 31698251 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In most studies, religiosity and spirituality (R/S) are positively associated with altruism, whereas depression is negatively associated. However, the cross-sectional designs of these studies limit their epidemiological value. We examine the association of R/S and major depressive disorder (MDD) with altruism in a five year longitudinal study nested in a larger prospective study. METHODS Depressed and non-depressed individuals and their first- and second-generation offspring were assessed over several decades. At Year30 after baseline, R/S was measured using participants' self-report; MDD, by clinical interview. At Year35, participants completed a measure of altruism. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression; statistical significance, set at p<.05. two-tailed. RESULTS In the overall sample, both R/S and MDD were significantly associated with altruism, AOR 2.52 (95% CI 1.15-5.49) and AOR 2.43 (95% CI 1.05-5.64), respectively; in the High Risk group alone, the corresponding AORs were 4.69 (95% CI 1.39-15.84) and 4.74 (95% CI 1.92-11.72). Among highly R/S people in the High Risk group, the AOR for MDD with altruism was 22.55 (95% CI 1.23-414.60) p<.04; among the remainder, it was 3.12 (95% CI 0.63-15.30), a substantial but non-significant difference. LIMITATIONS Altruism is based on self-report, not observation, hence, vulnerable to bias. CONCLUSIONS MDD's positive association with elevated altruism concurs with studies of posttraumatic growth in finding developmental growth from adversity. The conditions that foster MDD's positive association with altruism and the contribution of R/S to this process requires further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Neugebauer
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City, United States; Division of Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York City, United States; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, United States.
| | - Priya Wickramaratne
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City, United States; Division of Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York City, United States
| | - Connie Svob
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City, United States; Division of Epidemiology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York City, United States
| | - Clayton H McClintock
- Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, United States
| | - Marc J Gameroff
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City, United States; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York City, United States
| | - Lisa Miller
- Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, United States
| | - Anne Conway
- Anne Conway, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 1618 Cumberland Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee. United States
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Struck N, Gärtner T, Kircher T, Brakemeier EL. Social Cognition and Interpersonal Problems in Persistent Depressive Disorder vs. Episodic Depression: The Role of Childhood Maltreatment. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:608795. [PMID: 33584373 PMCID: PMC7873909 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.608795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Little is known about the specific psychological features that differentiate persistent depressive disorder (PDD) and episodic depression (ED). Thus, the present study aimed to investigate differences in social cognition and interpersonal problems between these two forms of depression and healthy controls. In addition, we aimed to examine childhood maltreatment (CM) as a possible origin of these alterations. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, adult patients with a current PDD (n = 34) or in a current episode of ED (n = 38), and healthy controls (n = 39) completed questionnaires about depression severity, empathy, interpersonal problems, and CM, as well as tests of affective theory of mind and facial emotion recognition. Results: Patients with PDD reported higher empathic distress than patients with ED and healthy controls. Both depressive groups recognized angry faces with higher accuracy and reported more interpersonal problems, with no differences between PDD and ED. Empathic distress and interpersonal problems mediated the link between CM and depression in the combined sample. Limitations: Patient groups were not drug-naïve and antidepressant intake might have influenced social-cognitive functions. Self-report measures of empathy and interpersonal problems are vulnerable to bias. The cross-sectional design does not allow causal conclusions. Conclusion: Depressed patients may not show deficits in decoding the affective states of others and in feeling with others. However, depressed individuals-in particular patients with PDD-may feel easily overwhelmed by emotionally tense situations, resulting in empathic distress and avoidant/submissive interpersonal behavior. Exposure to CM might be an origin of alterations in social cognition and interpersonal problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nele Struck
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Eva-Lotta Brakemeier
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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84
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Nickerson AB, Aloe AM, Werth JM. The Relation of Empathy and Defending in Bullying: A Meta-Analytic Investigation. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEW 2019. [DOI: 10.17105/spr-15-0035.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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85
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Benbassat J. Assessments of Non-academic Attributes in Applicants for Undergraduate Medical Education: an Overview of Advantages and Limitations. MEDICAL SCIENCE EDUCATOR 2019; 29:1129-1134. [PMID: 34457592 PMCID: PMC8368911 DOI: 10.1007/s40670-019-00791-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jochanan Benbassat
- Smokler Center for Health Policy Research, Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, PO Box 3886, 91037 Jerusalem, Israel
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86
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Nakagawa S, Sugiura M, Sekiguchi A, Kotozaki Y, Miyauchi CM, Hanawa S, Araki T, Sakuma A, Kawashima R. The pitfall of empathic concern with chronic fatigue after a disaster in young adults. BMC Psychiatry 2019; 19:338. [PMID: 31684912 PMCID: PMC6829815 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-019-2323-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empathic concern (EC) is an important interpersonal resilience factor that represents positive adaptation, such as "relating to others" (a factor of posttraumatic growth [PTG]) after disaster. However, controversy exists regarding whether the changes in EC (e.g., the intra-personal change between the acute phase and the disillusionment phase) positively or negatively affect mental health after a disaster. We hypothesized that increased EC may increase chronic fatigue due to over-adjustment (hypothesis 1). We also hypothesized that increasing the changes in "relating to others" could decrease the changes in chronic fatigue (hypothesis 2). METHODS Forty-nine young, healthy volunteers (M/F: 36/13; age at 3 months after the disaster [3 months]: mean ± SD: 21.1 ± 1.7 years) underwent assessments of EC using the Japanese version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, chronic fatigue using the Japanese version of the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS-J) questionnaire, and "relating to others" using the Japanese version of the PTG inventory during the acute phase (3 months) and the disillusionment phase (1 year after the disaster). Pearson product moment correlations at 3 months and 1 year were determined for all scores related to EC. The changes (delta = degree of change from 3 months to 1 year) or scores at 1 year were entered into linear structural equation systems to test the hypotheses. RESULTS The delta of EC positively affected the delta of the CIS-J, and the delta of relating to others negatively affected the delta of the CIS-J. Both the EC and relating to others scores were negatively associated with the CIS-J score at 1 year. These results were in accordance with hypothesis 1 and 2. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated the opposite effects of 2 types of ECs, i.e., stability (inherent disposition) and flexibility (degree of change), on the degree of chronic fatigue. Increasing EC with increasing chronic fatigue, but not the change in relating to others, may be a red flag for individuals during the disillusionment phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seishu Nakagawa
- Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, Japan. .,Department of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan.
| | - Motoaki Sugiura
- 0000 0001 2248 6943grid.69566.3aDepartment of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575 Japan ,0000 0001 2248 6943grid.69566.3aInternational Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Atsushi Sekiguchi
- 0000 0001 2248 6943grid.69566.3aDivision of Medical Neuroimage Analysis, Department of Community Medical Support, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan ,0000 0000 9832 2227grid.416859.7Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuka Kotozaki
- 0000 0001 2248 6943grid.69566.3aDepartment of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575 Japan
| | - Carlos Makoto Miyauchi
- 0000 0001 2248 6943grid.69566.3aAdvanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Sugiko Hanawa
- 0000 0001 2248 6943grid.69566.3aDepartment of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575 Japan
| | | | - Atsushi Sakuma
- 0000 0001 2248 6943grid.69566.3aDepartment of Psychiatry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ryuta Kawashima
- 0000 0001 2248 6943grid.69566.3aAdvanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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87
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Chen FR, Fung ALC, Raine A. The cognitive, affective, and somatic empathy scales (CASES): Cross-cultural replication and specificity to different forms of aggression and victimization. J Pers Assess 2019; 103:80-91. [PMID: 31633394 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2019.1677246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
A psychometrically sound measure of empathy that captures its multifaceted nature is critical in furthering research on empathy. The only instrument that assesses three domains of empathy together with positive and negative valence empathy is the newly developed 30-item cognitive, affective, and somatic empathy scales (CASES). The current study examines the cross-culture generalizability of CASES in Hong Kong and explores links between empathy and different forms of aggression and peer victimization. A sample of 4,676 Hong Kong youth (62% male) completed CASES, alongside measures of reactive/proactive aggression and multidimensional peer victimization. A subsample of youth (n = 2,321-2,464) and their parents completed additional instruments for testing the validity of CASES. We replicated most of the concurrent, convergent, and discriminant validity findings in the original development of CASES. Proactive aggression was most strongly linked to affective empathy, whereas reactive aggression was most strongly linked to somatic empathy. Differential associations were revealed between subscales of CASES and forms of peer victimization. Findings provide cross-cultural generalizability for a brief self-report instrument that captures the multifaceted nature of empathy. The multifaceted nature of empathy is further supported by differential associations with forms of aggression and victimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances R Chen
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Annis Lai Chu Fung
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Adrian Raine
- Departments of Criminology, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Abstract
Empathy is an often-discussed topic among nurse scientists, educators, and professional practitioners. There is a small, but growing, body of research with a focus on empathy and its direct impact on clinical patient outcomes. However, nurses continue to place value on behavioral aspects of empathy, such as understanding the thoughts and feelings of others, caring, and perspective taking (Hojat, 2016; Kunyk & Olson, 2001). These empathic behaviors are foundational to establishing the nurse-patient relationship. The nurse-patient relationship is also central to the delivery of ethical patient care (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2015). Ethical care directly reflects elements of professional empathy, such as providing compassionate care, understanding the patient's perspective, and thoughtful consideration of the needs and values of each person (ANA, 2015). Empathy and ethics are connected, and both play a vital role in the decision-making process of nurses, particularly for decisions involving some level of uncertainty that require moral reasoning or values-based judgment (Barlow, Hargreaves, & Gillibrand, 2018).
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89
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Ma C, Ma Y, Wang Y, Lan X. Empathy and Psychosocial Adjustment in Tibetan and Han Adolescents: A Person-Centered Approach. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1896. [PMID: 31456727 PMCID: PMC6700380 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although prior research has shown potential academic difficulties for Tibetan adolescents when coping with the mainstream Han culture, little is known about their psychosocial adjustment. Adopting a person-centered approach, the current study explores psychosocial adjustment profiles based on internalizing indicators (i.e., depression, loneliness, life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect) and externalizing indicators (i.e., prosocial behavior and antisocial behavior). Moreover, guided by the empathy theory, this study also examines the direct and interactive effects of empathy (affective and cognitive empathy) and ethnicity (Tibetan vs. Han adolescents) on psychosocial adjustment profiles. A total of 306 Tibetan adolescents (66.3% girls) and 321 Han adolescents (55.1% girls) were involved in this study, and participants were asked to fill in a set of self-report questionnaires. A latent profile analysis revealed five psychosocial adjustment profiles: adaptive, maladaptive, externalizing, internalizing, and moderate. Furthermore, a multiple multinomial analysis showed Han adolescents were more likely than Tibetan adolescents to be a member of adaptive and moderate profiles than of the externalizing profile. Individuals with low affective empathy and high cognitive empathy were prone to be adequate in terms of psychosocial functioning, and the effects of low affective empathy and high cognitive empathy on psychosocial functioning were highlighted in Han adolescents only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhua Ma
- College of Educational Science and Technology, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yongfeng Ma
- College of Educational Science and Technology, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Youpeng Wang
- Department of Petrochemical Engineering, Lanzhou Petrochemical College of Vocational Technology, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyu Lan
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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90
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Wingenfeld K, Otte C. Mineralocorticoid receptor function and cognition in health and disease. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 105:25-35. [PMID: 30243757 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The steroid hormone cortisol is released in response to stress and exerts its effects in the brain via two different receptors: the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). This review - dedicated to Dirk Hellhammer - focusses on the role of MR on cognitive and emotional function in healthy individuals and in stress-associated disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD) or borderline personality disorder (BPD). Animal data and studies from healthy individuals converge such that MR play an important role in the appraisal of new situations and the following response selection. Decision-making and empathy are important determinants of this response selection and both are affected by MR function. Furthermore, MR are crucially involved in visuospatial navigation and memory in young and elderly healthy individuals whereas the exact physiological role of MR in verbal learning and verbal memory needs to be further characterized. In contrast to studies in healthy participants, age played a moderating role on the effects of MR stimulation on cognition in depressed patients. In young depressed patients, MR stimulation exerted beneficial effects on verbal memory and executive function, whereas in elderly depressed patients MR stimulation led to impaired verbal learning and visuospatial memory. Similar to healthy controls, BPD patients showed enhanced emotional empathy but not cognitive empathy after MR stimulation. Accordingly, this make MR an interesting target for potential pharmacological augmentation of psychotherapy in BPD. Given the important role MR play in cognitive and emotional function in health and disease, further studies should examine whether MR modulation can alleviate cognitive and emotional problems in patients with stress-associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Wingenfeld
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Christian Otte
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
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91
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Calandri E, Graziano F, Testa S, Cattelino E, Begotti T. Empathy and Depression Among Early Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Parental Support. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1447. [PMID: 31316426 PMCID: PMC6610578 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early adolescence is a period of development of emotional competence, but also of increasing vulnerability for the onset of depressive symptoms. While literature underscored that empathy promotes social relationships and psychological well-being over the life course, the possible role of high empathy levels as a risk factor for depression has been under investigated, especially among early adolescents. Moreover, although parenting practices are known to influence both empathy and depression in adolescence, few studies investigated if parenting moderates the relationship between empathy and depression. Therefore, the aims of the study were: (1) to investigate the relationships between affective and cognitive empathy and depression; (2) to investigate the moderating role of perceived paternal and maternal support on the associations between affective and cognitive empathy and depression; (3) to examine if the relationships among affective and cognitive empathy, maternal and paternal support and depression vary as a function of early adolescents' gender. The study involved 386 Italian students aged between 12 and 14 (M age = 13, SD = 0.3, 47.9% girls) who completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire, including measures of cognitive and affective empathy, paternal and maternal support and depression. Results showed that with a mean level of affective and cognitive empathy, higher maternal support was related to lower depression for girls, whereas higher paternal support was related to lower depression for both boys and girls. Both maternal and paternal support moderated the relation between empathy and depression. In particular, maternal support moderated the non-linear relation between affective empathy and depression and the relation was further moderated by early adolescents' gender: boys with low affective empathy reported lower depression in a context of high maternal support. Paternal support moderated the linear relation between cognitive empathy and depression, independently of early adolescents' gender: boys and girls with high cognitive empathy reported higher depression in a context of low paternal support. The results of the study suggested that high empathy might be a risk factor for depression during early adolescence and mothers and fathers have a differential moderating role in relation to the affective and cognitive dimensions of empathy, also in relation to early adolescents' gender.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Silvia Testa
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Cattelino
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Aosta Valley, Aosta, Italy
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92
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Wagers KB, Kiel EJ. The influence of parenting and temperament on empathy development in toddlers. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY : JFP : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (DIVISION 43) 2019; 33:391-400. [PMID: 30730181 PMCID: PMC6533135 DOI: 10.1037/fam0000505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is a critical ability in developing relationships, and deficits in empathy have been associated with various maladaptive social outcomes. Although specific parenting styles and behaviors (including warmth and reasoning) are expected to be related to the development of child empathy, these may function differently for children with an inhibited temperament. Children with an inhibited temperament, who are at risk for developing an anxiety disorder, may also struggle with expressing empathic behaviors. These relations were tested in a longitudinal study including mothers and their toddlers. Dyads participated at time points approximately 1 year apart when toddlers were 24 and 36 months old. Moderating effects were found for parental warmth and reasoning, as well as authoritative parenting broadly. Maternal warmth was related to higher levels of empathy for only children with low levels of inhibited temperament. Maternal reasoning was related to lower levels of empathy for children with high levels of inhibited temperament. Thus, for children with low levels of inhibited temperament, warmth predicts higher empathy, and for children with high levels of inhibited temperament, reasoning predicts lower empathy. These findings are discussed within a goodness of fit framework, suggesting that children's positive outcomes depend on the match between parenting behavior and temperament. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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93
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Empathy in Youths with Conduct Disorder and Callous-Unemotional Traits. Neural Plast 2019; 2019:9638973. [PMID: 31097957 PMCID: PMC6487083 DOI: 10.1155/2019/9638973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies indicated that a lack of empathy could be considered the core feature of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in children and adolescents. The present study is aimed at exploring relationships among CU traits, cognitive and emotional dimensions of empathy, emotion recognition (basic, social, and complex emotions), and history of maltreatment in a sample of youths with conduct disorder diagnosis. The sample consisted of 60 Italian male patients (age range 11-17 years, mean age 13.27 ± 1.90 years) referred to the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Pisa, Italy). In the whole sample, the levels of CU traits were significantly negatively associated with both cognitive and emotional dimensions of empathy; in addition, the CD patients with high levels of CU traits show significantly lower levels of empathic concern compared to those with low levels of CU traits. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.
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94
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Geldhof GJ, Larsen T, Urke H, Holsen I, Lewis H, Tyler CP. Indicators of positive youth development can be maladaptive: The example case of caring. J Adolesc 2018; 71:1-9. [PMID: 30583200 DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Research on positive youth development typically takes a more-is-better approach in which higher scores on measures of positive youth development indicate better outcomes. We question the validity of this assumption and describe how an imbalance among the Five Cs of Positive Youth Development can lead to a situation where "more" is actually "less." We then provide an empirical illustration using cross-sectional data. METHODS We examined conditional associations between indicators of thriving and the C of caring using survey data obtained from a sample of 2,386 students in Norway (mean age 16.60 years [SD = 1.98]; 44.8% girls). Multilevel models assessed whether associations between caring and the thriving indicators (here defined as greater mental well-being and lower anxiety and depressive symptoms) differed when versus when not controlling for overall positive youth development. RESULTS When positive youth development was not included as a covariate, caring was positively associated with mental well being and anxiety but not significantly associated with depressive symptoms. After adding positive youth development to the model, caring became less strongly associated with mental well-being, more strongly associated with anxiety, and significantly (positively) associated with depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that, after controlling for a set level of positive youth development, caring does not predict adaptive outcomes in a monotonic more-is-better way. These findings illustrate an instance where developmental regulations benefit the context at the cost of the individual and therefore speak to a growing acknowledgement in the literature-young people may suffer if they "care too much."
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Affiliation(s)
- G John Geldhof
- Human Development and Family Studies, Oregon State University, USA.
| | - Torill Larsen
- Health Promotion and Development, University of Bergen, Norway.
| | - Helga Urke
- Health Promotion and Development, University of Bergen, Norway.
| | - Ingrid Holsen
- Health Promotion and Development, University of Bergen, Norway.
| | - Hillary Lewis
- Human Development and Family Studies, Oregon State University, USA.
| | - Corine P Tyler
- Human Development and Family Studies, Oregon State University, USA.
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95
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The relations between empathy, guilt, shame and depression in inpatient adolescents. J Affect Disord 2018; 241:381-387. [PMID: 30145508 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.08.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High levels of affective empathy are associated with increased levels of depressive symptoms. However, studies investigating the mechanisms underlying this relation are limited. Since affective empathy may be associated with a feeling of exaggerated responsibility for alleviating the suffering of others, it may lead to high levels of generalized guilt and various forms of shame, which, in turn, may elevate depressive symptoms. Therefore, these self-conscious emotions are candidate mediators of the affective empathy-depressive symptoms relationship. Accordingly, the aim of the current study was to test the hypothesis that generalized and contextual shame and generalized guilt mediate the relations between affective empathy and depressive symptoms. METHODS 117 inpatient adolescents completed the Basic Empathy Scale to assess affective and cognitive empathy, the Beck Depression Inventory-II to evaluate severity of depressive symptoms, the Test of Self-Conscious Affect that measures contextual guilt and shame, and the Personal Feelings Questionnaire that assess generalized guilt and shame. RESULTS Findings demonstrated that generalized guilt, contextual and generalized shame mediated the relation between affective empathy and depressive symptoms. In contrast, cognitive empathy was shown to be related most strongly to contextual guilt and was unrelated to depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS Characteristics of the sample (predominately Caucasian inpatient adolescents from well-educated and financially stable environments), the lack of a longitudinal design, and over-reliance on self-report measures were main limitations of the study. CONCLUSIONS The study provides novel information on the mechanisms underlying the association between affective empathy and depressive symptoms and shows that shame and generalized guilt associated with affective sharing should be considered as possible targets for therapeutic/preventive interventions for adolescents with high levels of depressive symptoms.
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96
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Martin CG, Kim HK, Freyd JJ. Overwhelmed by Emotion: Pathways from Revictimization to Mothers' Negative Emotional Responsivity. FAMILY PROCESS 2018; 57:947-959. [PMID: 29285758 DOI: 10.1111/famp.12339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Maternal history of childhood abuse has consistently been linked to increased risk for poor emotional adjustment and parenting as an adult. The aim of this study was to examine a model that may explain the link between maternal history of childhood abuse and mothers' tendencies to respond negatively to their adolescent children's negative emotions. A community sample of 66 mothers with adolescent children participated. Path analysis supported associations between mothers with a history of high betrayal trauma revictimization (i.e., trauma perpetrated by someone close to the mother during childhood and again as a young adult) and increased difficulty regulating their emotions. In turn, mothers who struggled to regulate their own emotions were also more likely to respond negatively to their adolescent's negative emotions. Findings highlight effects of childhood trauma may be particularly problematic for mothers who are revictimized as young adults. These results provide the foundation for future research evaluating clinical interventions targeted at increasing maternal emotion regulation skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Gamache Martin
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
- National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Hyoun K Kim
- Oregon Social Learning Center, Eugene, OR
- Department of Child and Family Studies, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
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97
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Tal Saban M, Kirby A. Empathy, social relationship and co-occurrence in young adults with DCD. Hum Mov Sci 2018; 63:62-72. [PMID: 30503983 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Empathy is defined as an emotional or cognitive response to another's emotional state. It is considered essential for navigating meaningful social interactions and is closely linked to prosocial behavior. Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is characterized by an impairment of motor coordination that has a marked impact on both academic and day-to-day living activities. Children and adolescents with DCD have been shown to have less developed social support and friendships. The research linking empathy and DCD is scarce. The aims of this study are to gain an understanding of the relationship between DCD and empathy in young adults with DCD only, and with DCD coupled with other neurodevelopmental disorders, in comparison with typically developing adults. METHODS The study included 212 young adults aged 18-40 years. The subjects in this study were from mainstream populations in the UK. The study groups included: (a) "DCD only" with 42 individuals; (b) "DCD + ASD" with 21 individuals; (c) "DCD + ADHD" with 45 individuals; (d) "DCD + ASD + ADHD" with 29 individuals; and (e) the control group of 75 individuals. RESULTS ANOVA on the Empathy Questionnaire (EQ) showed a statistically significant difference between groups (F [4,257] = 35.63; p < 0.001; ηp2 = 0.409). No significant differences were found between the DCD-only and the control. MANOVA was performed to assess differences in the Socialising and Friendship Questionnaire (SAF-Q) scores. The results showed a statistically significant difference between groups (F [8,257] = 9.98; p < 0.001; η = 0.162). Pearson correlation coefficients were performed, revealing significant high correlations between the EQ and the two parts of the SAF-Q ("past" and "currently"). CONCLUSION The results of this study indicate that social difficulties in the DCD-only group are not due to lack of empathy, but may be driven by an accumulation of external factors. In this study we also concluded that DCD does not appear to be the factor that reduces the ability to empathize, but rather the presence of ADHD and/or ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tal Saban
- School of Occupational Therapy, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - A Kirby
- The Dyscovery Centre Innovation House Treforest CF37 1DL, University of South Wales, UK
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98
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Schwartz-Mette RA, Smith RL. When Does Co-Rumination Facilitate Depression Contagion in Adolescent Friendships? Investigating Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Factors. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2018; 47:912-924. [PMID: 27586501 PMCID: PMC6195473 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2016.1197837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Research supports the notion that adolescents' mental health is impacted by peers via contagion processes. A growing area of interest has been how co-rumination may influence depressive symptoms within friendships. The current study examined particular conditions under which co-rumination is especially likely to facilitate depression contagion. Participants were adolescents (N = 480, 49% female, M age = 14.6 years, 59.5% European American) paired in friendship dyads and assessed over 9 months. Characteristics of the adolescent (personal distress), of the friend (excessive reassurance seeking), and of the friendship (friendship quality) were considered. Moderated mediation analyses indicated that co-rumination facilitated depression contagion only under conditions of adolescents' high personal distress, friends' high excessive reassurance seeking, and high positive friendship quality. This research underscores the importance of attending to how and under what conditions depression contagion occurs within friendships in order to support adolescents' positive social and emotional development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rhiannon L Smith
- b Department of Psychological Sciences , University of Connecticut
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99
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Trautmann S, Reineboth M, Trikojat K, Richter J, Hagenaars MA, Kanske P, Schäfer J. Susceptibility to others' emotions moderates immediate self-reported and biological stress responses to witnessing trauma. Behav Res Ther 2018; 110:55-63. [PMID: 30243101 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The peri-traumatic stress response is a strong predictor of symptom development after trauma exposure. Regarding witnessing trauma, the stress response might depend on the susceptibility to others' emotions (emotional contagion, EC). This study investigated whether EC moderates the immediate stress response using a trauma film paradigm. METHODS Ninety-five healthy participants were randomly exposed to a trauma or a neutral film. Perceived stressfulness of the film and pre-to post-film changes in self-reported anxiety, heart rate and saliva cortisol levels were assessed. EC towards negative and positive emotions was measured using the emotional contagion scale and its emotion-specific subscales. RESULTS Overall, the trauma film was perceived as distressing and elicited an increase in self-reported anxiety, heart rate and saliva cortisol levels relative to the neutral film. EC towards negative emotions was positively related to the perceived stressfulness of the film, increased anxiety and increased heart rate. The association with saliva cortisol levels was also in the expected direction, but not statistically significant. These associations were not found for EC towards positive emotions. DISCUSSION EC towards negative emotions may be an important predictor of trauma exposure outcomes. Further research should clarify its specific contribution in witnessing and undergoing trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Trautmann
- Behavioral Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Magdalena Reineboth
- Department of Personality Psychology and Assessment, Technische Universität Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Katharina Trikojat
- Department of Biological Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jan Richter
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Muriel A Hagenaars
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Behavioral Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Judith Schäfer
- Behavioral Epidemiology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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100
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Warrier V, Grasby KL, Uzefovsky F, Toro R, Smith P, Chakrabarti B, Khadake J, Mawbey-Adamson E, Litterman N, Hottenga JJ, Lubke G, Boomsma DI, Martin NG, Hatemi PK, Medland SE, Hinds DA, Bourgeron T, Baron-Cohen S. Genome-wide meta-analysis of cognitive empathy: heritability, and correlates with sex, neuropsychiatric conditions and cognition. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1402-1409. [PMID: 28584286 PMCID: PMC5656177 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
We conducted a genome-wide meta-analysis of cognitive empathy using the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' Test (Eyes Test) in 88,056 research volunteers of European Ancestry (44,574 females and 43,482 males) from 23andMe Inc., and an additional 1497 research volunteers of European Ancestry (891 females and 606 males) from the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study. We confirmed a female advantage on the Eyes Test (Cohen's d=0.21, P<2.2 × 10-16), and identified a locus in 3p26.1 that is associated with scores on the Eyes Test in females (rs7641347, Pmeta=1.58 × 10-8). Common single nucleotide polymorphisms explained 5.8% (95% CI: 4.5%-7.2%; P=1.00 × 10-17) of the total trait variance in both sexes, and we identified a twin heritability of 28% (95% CI: 13%-42%). Finally, we identified significant genetic correlation between the Eyes Test and anorexia nervosa, openness (NEO-Five Factor Inventory), and different measures of educational attainment and cognitive aptitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varun Warrier
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom,Corresponding authors: Varun Warrier () and Simon Baron-Cohen (). Autism Research Centre, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, United Kingdom. Telephone: 0044 (0) 1223 746057
| | | | - Florina Uzefovsky
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom,Department of Psychology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Roberto Toro
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France,Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France,Institut Pasteur, 5-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Paula Smith
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Jyoti Khadake
- NIHR Cambridge BioResource, Cambridge University and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eleanor Mawbey-Adamson
- NIHR Cambridge BioResource, Cambridge University and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nadia Litterman
- 23andMe Inc., 899 West Evelyn Ave, Mountain View, California 94041, USA
| | - Jouke-Jan Hottenga
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gitta Lubke
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, United States
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Peter K Hatemi
- Political Science, Microbiology and Biochemistry, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Sarah E Medland
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - David A Hinds
- 23andMe Inc., 899 West Evelyn Ave, Mountain View, California 94041, USA
| | - Thomas Bourgeron
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France,Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France,Institut Pasteur, 5-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom,CLASS Clinic, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT), Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom,Corresponding authors: Varun Warrier () and Simon Baron-Cohen (). Autism Research Centre, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, United Kingdom. Telephone: 0044 (0) 1223 746057
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