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Ben Adiva Y, Genzer S, Perry A. Beyond physical sensations: investigating empathy and prosocial behavior in vicarious pain responders. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2024; 19:nsae039. [PMID: 38910333 PMCID: PMC11220461 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Empathy, the capacity to share others' emotional experiences, has been proposed as a key motivation for altruistic behavior in both humans and animals. Sharing another's emotional experience may generate a self-embodied simulation of their emotional state, fostering understanding and promoting prosocial behavior. Vicarious pain responders report sensing physical pain when observing others in pain. Whether this ability extends to emotional experiences remains unexplored. Using both questionnaires and ecologically valid behavioral tasks, we explored whether vicarious pain responders differ from nonresponders in empathic abilities and prosocial behavior. Participants watched video clips of people describing a negative emotional life event. We operationalized several empathic abilities and responses (empathic accuracy, affective synchrony, emotional reaction, and empathic motivation) based on participants' and targets' responses during and after watching the videos. Participants were also engaged in a donation task measuring tendency for prosocial behavior. Findings reveal that compared to nonresponders, vicarious pain responders exhibit enhanced empathic accuracy, intensified emotional reactions to others' emotional pain, and a greater motivation to communicate with the target. This study marks the first behavioral evidence showcasing vicarious pain responders' empathic abilities, reactions, and motivation in response to nonphysical pain of others, expanding our knowledge of this phenomenon and its association with broader empathic abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoad Ben Adiva
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel
| | - Shir Genzer
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel
| | - Anat Perry
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel
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Ong EK, Tan UTE, Chiam M, Sim WS. The employment of art therapy to develop empathy and foster wellbeing for junior doctors in a palliative medicine rotation - a qualitative exploratory study on acceptability. BMC Palliat Care 2024; 23:84. [PMID: 38556855 PMCID: PMC10983679 DOI: 10.1186/s12904-024-01414-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The interdisciplinary realm of medical humanities explores narratives and experiences that can enhance medical education for physicians through perspective-taking and reflective practice. However, there is a gap in comprehension regarding its appropriateness at the postgraduate level, especially when utilising art therapists as faculty. This study aims to assess the acceptability of an innovative art therapy-focused educational initiative among junior doctors during a palliative care rotation, with the goal of cultivating empathy and promoting well-being. METHODS A qualitative research project was conducted at the Division of Supportive and Palliative Care (DSPC) in the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS). The study involved the recruitment of junior doctors who had successfully completed a three-month palliative care rotation program, spanning from January 2020 to April 2021. In a single small-group session lasting 1.5 h, with 3 to 4 participants each time, the individuals participated in activities such as collage making, group reflection, and sharing of artistic creations. These sessions were facilitated by an accredited art therapist and a clinical psychologist, focusing on themes related to empathy and wellbeing. To assess the acceptability of the program, two individual interviews were conducted three months apart with each participant. An independent research assistant utilised a semi-structured question guide that considered affective attitude, burden, perceived effectiveness, coherence, and self-efficacy. Thematic analysis of the transcribed data was then employed to scrutinise the participants' experiences. RESULTS A total of 20 individual interviews were completed with 11 participants. The three themes identified were lack of pre-existing knowledge of the humanities, promotors, and barriers to program acceptability. CONCLUSIONS The participants have mixed perceptions of the program's acceptability. While all completed the program in its entirety, the acceptability of the program is impeded by wider systemic factors such as service and manpower needs. It is vital to address these structural limitations as failing to do so risks skewing current ambivalence towards outright rejection of future endeavours to integrate humanities programs into medical education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eng-Koon Ong
- Division of Supportive and Palliative Care, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 30 Hospital Blvd, Singapore, 168583, Singapore.
- Assisi Hospice, 832 Thomson Rd, Singapore, 574627, Singapore.
- Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, 8 College Rd, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.
- Office of Medical Humanities, SingHealth Medicine Academic Clinical Programme, 31 Third Hospital Ave, Singapore, 168753, Singapore.
- Division of Cancer Education, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 30 Hospital Blvd, Singapore, 168583, Singapore.
| | - U-Tong Emily Tan
- Division of Psycho-oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 30 Hospital Blvd, Singapore, 168583, Singapore
| | - Min Chiam
- Division of Cancer Education, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 30 Hospital Blvd, Singapore, 168583, Singapore
| | - Wen Shan Sim
- Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, 8 College Rd, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
- KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore, 229899, Singapore
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Delgado N, Delgado J, Betancort M, Bonache H, Harris LT. What is the Link Between Different Components of Empathy and Burnout in Healthcare Professionals? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2023; 16:447-463. [PMID: 36814637 PMCID: PMC9939791 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s384247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on healthcare shows that the relationship between empathy and burnout is complex. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to clarify the link between different empathic components and burnout components in healthcare professionals. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidance. The search strategy was applied in PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and Medline, from January 1990 to January 2021. Population included nurses and doctors. Key inclusion criteria were articles addressing the relationship between different components of empathy and professional performance and wellbeing or burn out, or studies using burnout and empathy measures with validity support from commonly accepted sources of evidence. Risk of bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. From 1159 references identified, 22 studies were included in the systematic review, and 5 studies in the meta-analysis. Empathic Concern was significantly correlated with Depersonalization and Personal Accomplishment. Moreover, the links between Perspective Taking, Depersonalization and Personal Accomplishment were statistically significant. In conclusion, exploring and understanding the complex links between empathy and burnout could help healthcare professionals as well as institutions to reduce the risk of suffering burnout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naira Delgado
- Departamento de Psicología Cognitiva, Social y Organizacional, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain,Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain,Correspondence: Naira Delgado, C/ Professor José Luis Moreno Becerra s/n, Campus de Guajara, Apartado 456, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, S/C de Tenerife, 38200, Spain, Tel +34 922317527, Email
| | - Janet Delgado
- Departamento de Filosofía I, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Moisés Betancort
- Departamento de Psicología Clínica, Psicobiología y Metodología, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Helena Bonache
- Departamento de Psicología Cognitiva, Social y Organizacional, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Lasana T Harris
- Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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van der Velden PG, Contino C, Das M, Wittmann L. To what extent do post-traumatic mental health and other problems reflect pre-existing problems? Findings from the prospective comparative population-based VICTIMS-study. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2022:207640221140287. [PMID: 36464851 DOI: 10.1177/00207640221140287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Findings from prospective studies question the assumption that mental health problems observed in traumatized adults mainly reflect the effects of potentially traumatic events. AIMS Aim of the present comparative prospective study is to clarify the extent to which victims of potentially traumatic events with mental health, social, financial, and/or legal problems, already suffered from such problems before these events. METHOD Data was extracted from three surveys of the prospective VICTIMS-study (T1 = 2018, T2 = 2019, T3 = 2020), conducted with the population-based longitudinal LISS-panel. Differences between victims (n = 340, victimized by violence, accidents, and serious threats in the 12 months before T3) and nonvictims (n = 3,872, not victimized by such events in this period), were examined using multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS The large majority of victims with current (at T3) anxiety and depression symptomatology (74%), general mental health problems (71%), partner/family (67%), financial (76%), and legal problems (58%), and lack of support (79%), already had these problems (at T1 and/or at T2). A similar pattern was observed among nonvictims. Of the victims with current probable PTSD (at T3), 87% already had any mental health problem. At T3, among both groups, the incidence of problems was substantially lower than their prevalence. The large majority of victims with post-event mental health, social, financial, and legal problems already suffered from these problems in the past. CONCLUSIONS When victims seek help for their problems, professional care providers should be aware that in most cases, as among nonvictims, these problems are chronic/re-current rather than new problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter G van der Velden
- Centerdata, Tilburg, The Netherlands.,TRANZO, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | | | - Marcel Das
- Centerdata, Tilburg, The Netherlands.,Tilburg School of Economics and Management, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Lutz Wittmann
- International Psychoanalytic University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Wekenborg MK, Hill LK, Grabbe P, Thayer JF, Kirschbaum C, Lindenlaub S, Arne Wittling R, von Dawans B. Associations between burnout symptoms and social behaviour: exploring the role of acute stress and vagal function. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:892. [PMID: 35509000 PMCID: PMC9069827 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13333-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study aimed to investigate the link between burnout symptoms and prosocial behaviour, as well as the role of acute stress and vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) on this association. METHODS Seventy men were randomly assigned to either the stress or the control condition of the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G). Prosocial behaviour was assessed via a social decision-making paradigm during the respective TSST-G condition. RESULTS Correlation analyses revealed negative correlations between prosocial behaviour and burnout symptoms. Acute stress was also associated with reduced prosocial behaviour, whereas no interaction effects with burnout symptoms could be revealed. Exploratory analyses showed that vmHRV was negatively correlated with burnout symptoms during the social decision-making paradigm but did not mediate the link between burnout and prosocial behaviour. CONCLUSION In conclusion, we report first experimental evidence that burnout symptoms are negatively associated with prosocial behaviour. Further studies are needed to explore the causal relations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena K Wekenborg
- Department of Psychology, Chair of Biopsychology, Dresden, TU, Germany. .,Else Kröner Fresenius Center for Digital Health, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, TU, Germany.
| | - LaBarron K Hill
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Pia Grabbe
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julian F Thayer
- Department of Psychological Science, School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | | | - Susan Lindenlaub
- Department of Psychology, Chair of Biopsychology, Dresden, TU, Germany
| | | | - Bernadette von Dawans
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
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Ursoniu S, Serban CL, Giurgi-Oncu C, Rivis IA, Bucur A, Bredicean AC, Papava I. Validation of the Romanian Version of the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) among Undergraduate Medical Students. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182412871. [PMID: 34948481 PMCID: PMC8701033 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182412871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Medical professionals require adequate abilities to identify others’ emotions and express personal emotions. We aimed to determine the validity and reliability of an empathy measuring tool in medical students for this study. We employed Spreng’s Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) as a starting point for this validation. The process was performed in several steps, including an English-Romanian-English translation and a focus group meeting to establish each question’s degree of understandability and usability, with minor improvements of wording in each step. We checked internal and external consistency in a pilot group (n = 67). For construct and convergent validity, we used a sample of 649 students. The overall internal and external reliability performed well, with Cronbach’s alpha = 0.727 and respective ICC = 0.776. The principal component analysis resulted in 3 components: prosocial helping behavior, inappropriate sensitivity, dismissive attitude. Component 1 includes positively worded questions, and components 2 and 3 include negatively worded questions. Women had significantly higher scores than men in convergent validity, but we did not highlight any differences for other demographic factors. The Romanian version of the TEQ is a reliable and valid tool to measure empathy among undergraduate medical students that may be further used in subsequent research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sorin Ursoniu
- Department of Functional Sciences, Discipline of Public Health, Center for Translational Research and Systems Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (S.U.); (C.L.S.)
| | - Costela Lacrimioara Serban
- Department of Functional Sciences, Discipline of Public Health, Center for Translational Research and Systems Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (S.U.); (C.L.S.)
| | - Catalina Giurgi-Oncu
- Department of Neuroscience, Discipline of Psychiatry, Center for Cognitive Research in Neuropsychiatric Pathology (NeuroPsy-Cog), “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (C.G.-O.); (A.-C.B.); (I.P.)
| | - Ioana Alexandra Rivis
- Department of Neuroscience, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Adina Bucur
- Department of Functional Sciences, Discipline of Public Health, Center for Translational Research and Systems Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (S.U.); (C.L.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +40-723-786442
| | - Ana-Cristina Bredicean
- Department of Neuroscience, Discipline of Psychiatry, Center for Cognitive Research in Neuropsychiatric Pathology (NeuroPsy-Cog), “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (C.G.-O.); (A.-C.B.); (I.P.)
- Psychiatry Compartment, “Dr. Victor Popescu” Emergency Military Clinical Hospital, 300080 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Ion Papava
- Department of Neuroscience, Discipline of Psychiatry, Center for Cognitive Research in Neuropsychiatric Pathology (NeuroPsy-Cog), “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (C.G.-O.); (A.-C.B.); (I.P.)
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