Ming Zhang1, Shaishai Wang2, Zheng Wang3, Xiaoqin Peng4, Wenjing Fei2, Yiran Geng2, Tianyang Zhang5. 1. Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China. 2. School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China. 3. Soochow College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China. 4. Department of Mental Health, High School Attached to Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China. 5. Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China; School of Public Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China. Electronic address: tyzhang@suda.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: College freshmen are at high risk for mental and socioemotional problems after entering a new environment. However, few investigators have evaluated the associations between empathy and depressive symptoms among college freshmen. The present study examined the presence and associations of affective and cognitive empathy with depressive symptoms among college freshmen in China. METHODS: In total, 4297 college freshmen completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index as an assessment of empathy and the University Personality Inventory to evaluate the prevalence of depressive symptoms. RESULTS: The empathy scores of females were higher than that of males, and approximately 18.4% of freshmen had high-depressive symptoms (HDS). Freshmen with a higher positive component of affective empathy (empathic concern (EC)) experienced fewer HDS. In contrast, freshmen with a higher negative component of affective empathy (personal distress (PD)) and lower cognitive empathy (perspective taking (PT)) experienced more HDS. EC was negatively associated with depressive symptoms, PD was positively related to depressive symptoms, and PT was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Males with a higher degree of PT experienced fewer HDS, while females with a higher degree of PT experienced more HDS. CONCLUSION: Affective empathy was positively associated with depressive symptoms, while cognitive empathy was negatively related to depressive symptoms. The association between affective and cognitive empathy with depressive symptoms may add some support to the detection of clinical depressive symptoms. These findings call for the necessity of considering the characteristics of affective and cognitive empathy as a crucial concern in the prevention of depressive symptoms.
BACKGROUND: College freshmen are at high risk for mental and socioemotional problems after entering a new environment. However, few investigators have evaluated the associations between empathy and depressive symptoms among college freshmen. The present study examined the presence and associations of affective and cognitive empathy with depressive symptoms among college freshmen in China. METHODS: In total, 4297 college freshmen completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index as an assessment of empathy and the University Personality Inventory to evaluate the prevalence of depressive symptoms. RESULTS: The empathy scores of females were higher than that of males, and approximately 18.4% of freshmen had high-depressive symptoms (HDS). Freshmen with a higher positive component of affective empathy (empathic concern (EC)) experienced fewer HDS. In contrast, freshmen with a higher negative component of affective empathy (personal distress (PD)) and lower cognitive empathy (perspective taking (PT)) experienced more HDS. EC was negatively associated with depressive symptoms, PD was positively related to depressive symptoms, and PT was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Males with a higher degree of PT experienced fewer HDS, while females with a higher degree of PT experienced more HDS. CONCLUSION: Affective empathy was positively associated with depressive symptoms, while cognitive empathy was negatively related to depressive symptoms. The association between affective and cognitive empathy with depressive symptoms may add some support to the detection of clinical depressive symptoms. These findings call for the necessity of considering the characteristics of affective and cognitive empathy as a crucial concern in the prevention of depressive symptoms.