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Relationship of empathy to appraisal, depression, life satisfaction, and physical health in informal caregivers of older adults
Author(s) -
Lee Haejung S.,
Brennan Patricia Flatley,
Daly Barbara J.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/1098-240x(200102)24:1<44::aid-nur1006>3.0.co;2-s
Subject(s) - empathy , psychology , life satisfaction , depression (economics) , clinical psychology , cognition , cognitive appraisal , psychiatry , psychotherapist , economics , macroeconomics
The relationship between empathy and caregiving appraisal and outcomes was examined among 140 informal caregivers of older adults. Caregivers with high cognitive empathy appraised the caregiving situation as less stressful and less threatening, were less depressed, and reported higher life satisfaction than did caregivers with low cognitive empathy. The caregivers' appraisal, along with educational levels and total household income, significantly predicted individual differences in caregiver depression, life satisfaction, and perceived physical health. Emotional empathy was negatively related to life satisfaction. There appeared to be distinct roles for emotional and cognitive empathy in informal caregiving outcomes. The study supported the important role of caregiving appraisal and resources in caregiving outcomes. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 24, 44–56, 2001