Abstract
BackgroundEmpathy is an essential quality for physicians and medical trainees. This study aimed to examine the associations of emotional intelligence (EI) and gratitude with empathy in medical students.MethodsWe conducted this cross-sectional study at three medical schools in China. A pack of self-reported questionnaires, consisting of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF), the Gratitude Questionnaire-6 (GQ-6), and demographic section were distributed to the students.ResultsA pool of 1392 students became the final participants. After adjustment for the demographics, trait EI and gratitude were positively related to Perspective Taking and Empathic Concern, accounting for 33.1 and 22.7% of their variance, respectively. While trait EI was strongly and negatively associated with Personal Distress, gratitude was modestly and positively associated with it, and they collectively explained 29.1% of its variance.ConclusionsTrait EI and gratitude could be vital psychological constructs for understanding empathy in medical students. The positive roles they may play could be considered when intervention strategies and programs are designed to enhance the professional competencies in medical students.
Highlights
Empathy is an essential quality for physicians and medical trainees
This is a large multicenter study to examine the associations of trait emotional intelligence (EI) and gratitude with empathy among medical students
The results showed that Chinese medical students had lower levels of Perspective Taking and Empathic Concern than their counterparts in most countries, whereas their Personal Distress was often higher [26, 40, 41]
Summary
Empathy is an essential quality for physicians and medical trainees. This study aimed to examine the associations of emotional intelligence (EI) and gratitude with empathy in medical students. Empathy is regarded as one of the essential core qualities for medical trainees and practitioners and can be conceptualized as a multidimensional construct consisting of both cognitive and emotional attributes. Physician empathy has been considered an essential building block for meaningful doctor-patient relationships [10]. High levels of empathy in physicians may enhance patients’ satisfaction and treatment adherence [11], and may achieve better clinical outcomes [12]. Higher empathy scores in medical practitioners measured by validated tools are associated with high levels of mental well-being and low levels of
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