Empathy and psychopathology in children and adolescents: the role of parental mental illness and emotion regulation

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Arleta A. Luczejko - , Justus Liebig University Giessen (Author)
  • Klara Hagelweide - , Dortmund University of Technology (Author)
  • Rudolf Stark - , Justus Liebig University Giessen (Author)
  • Sarah Weigelt - , Dortmund University of Technology (Author)
  • Hanna Christiansen - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Meinhard Kieser - , Heidelberg University  (Author)
  • Kathleen Otto - , University of Marburg (Author)
  • Corinna Reck - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Ricarda Steinmayr - , Dortmund University of Technology (Author)
  • Linda Wirthwein - , Dortmund University of Technology (Author)
  • Anna Lena Zietlow - , Chair of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Author)
  • Christina Schwenck - , Justus Liebig University Giessen (Author)

Abstract

Objective: Although empathy is known to be a strength, recent studies suggest that empathy can be a risk factor for psychopathology under certain conditions in children. This study examines parental mental illness as such a condition. Further, it aims to investigate whether maladaptive emotion regulation (ER) mediates the relationship between empathy and psychopathological symptoms of children. Methods: Participants were 100 children of parents with a mental illness (55% female) and 87 children of parents without a mental illness (50% female) aged 6 - 16 years and their parents. Results: Greater cognitive empathy was related to more psychopathological symptoms in COPMI, but not in COPWMI. In addition, in COPMI maladaptive ER mediated this relationship. In contrast, greater affective empathy was associated with more psychopathological symptoms regardless of whether parents had a mental illness. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of implementing preventive programs for COPMI that specifically target the reduction of maladaptive ER.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number1366366
Number of pages13
JournalFrontiers in psychiatry
Volume15 (2024)
Publication statusPublished - 8 Apr 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-7278-5711/work/161888018

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • children of parents with mental illness, emotion regulation, empathy, parents with mental illness, transgenerational transmission of mental disorders

Library keywords