Increased empathic distress in adults is associated with higher levels of childhood maltreatment.

ABSTRACT: While many studies investigated basic facets of empathy, less is known about the association with early life adversity (ELA). To investigate a possible association of empathy with ELA, we assessed self-reported ELA, using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) for mother and father, and empathy, using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), in a sample of N = 228 (83% female, age_mean = 30.51 ± 9.88 years, age_range = 18-60). Further, we measured willingness to donate a certain percentage of study compensation to a charity as an index of prosocial behavior. In line with our hypotheses that stated a positive association of empathy with ELA, increased levels of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and emotional and physical neg

SUBMITTER: Benz ABE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10008534 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature