Sandra Dehning1, Eva Reiß1, Daniela Krause2, Sarah Gasperi1, Sebastian Meyer1, Sascha Dargel1, Norbert Müller1, Matthias Siebeck3. 1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany. 2. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany. Electronic address: Daniela.Krause@med.uni-muenchen.de. 3. Department of Surgery, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Surgeons and psychiatrists have been described as two contrary groups, the one healing by hands and the other by words. Empathy is needed in every physician-patient relationship. We tested whether (1) surgeons and psychiatrists show different levels of cognitive and emotional empathy; (2) measurements of cognitive and emotional empathy correlate with physician-specific empathy; and (3) gender, experience, and career choices are influencing factors. METHODS: 56 surgeons and 50 psychiatrists participated. We measured empathy with the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE), cognitive empathy with the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test Revised (RME-R6), and emotional empathy with the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES). RESULTS: Male psychiatrists scored significantly higher than that of male surgeons (118.0±9.86 vs. 107.5±13.84; p=0.0006) in the JSPE. Analytically trained psychiatrists scored significantly higher in the JSPE than that of behaviorally trained psychiatrists (p=0.024, F test, adjusted for gender). Both the RME and the BEES correlated positively with the JSPE. CONCLUSION: Higher scores for empathy were found in male psychiatrists than in male surgeons. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Further research is needed to learn about the effects of general medical training on empathy.
OBJECTIVE: Surgeons and psychiatrists have been described as two contrary groups, the one healing by hands and the other by words. Empathy is needed in every physician-patient relationship. We tested whether (1) surgeons and psychiatrists show different levels of cognitive and emotional empathy; (2) measurements of cognitive and emotional empathy correlate with physician-specific empathy; and (3) gender, experience, and career choices are influencing factors. METHODS: 56 surgeons and 50 psychiatrists participated. We measured empathy with the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE), cognitive empathy with the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test Revised (RME-R6), and emotional empathy with the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES). RESULTS: Male psychiatrists scored significantly higher than that of male surgeons (118.0±9.86 vs. 107.5±13.84; p=0.0006) in the JSPE. Analytically trained psychiatrists scored significantly higher in the JSPE than that of behaviorally trained psychiatrists (p=0.024, F test, adjusted for gender). Both the RME and the BEES correlated positively with the JSPE. CONCLUSION: Higher scores for empathy were found in male psychiatrists than in male surgeons. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Further research is needed to learn about the effects of general medical training on empathy.
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