A Cross-sectional Study on Empathy and Factors Associated with Individual Variations in Empathy Levels among College Students in Central Kerala

Abstract

Introduction: Empathy is a social skill that exerts influence on the quality of social relationships. An empathetic person is able to understand the emotions of others, accurately express their feelings, comprehend other’s situations and act appropriately. Added to the volatile nature of the age, the youth face challenges from social exclusion, gender based violence and the lack of access to rights and opportunities. Aim: To measure empathy levels among college students aged 18-28 years in Kerala and to find out the factors associated with individual variations in Empathy levels among them. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 610 college students of both gender randomly selected from Pathamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Kollam, and Trivandrum districts in South Central Kerala, India. Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), short version of Malach-Pines (2005) and Burnout Measure was used for collecting information from study participants. Data was analysed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 (Chicago, USA). Results were expressed as percentages and proportions. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 21±1.6 years. The mean empathy score and burnout score of study participants were 58±11.9 and 41.03±12.3, respectively. The empathy score among study participants was found to be significantly associated with age of study participants and burnout. Conclusion: The present study revealed a good prevalence of empathy and humanistic values among college students in Kerala. However, certain factors like burnout that can affect total individual empathy scores need to be addressed.