Effects of Adolescent Empathy on Emotional Resilience: The Mediating Role of Depression and Self-Efficacy and the Moderating Effect of Social Activities
Background: This study aims to investigate the role of empathy in fostering emotional resilience and the impact of social activity on adolescents’ mental health. Methods: A survey was conducted on 1666 adolescents aged from 11 to 15 across seven cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, etc. Res...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/3/228 |
| _version_ | 1797242061807681536 |
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| author | Jun Wang Quanqi Yang Xian Yu Li Hu |
| author_facet | Jun Wang Quanqi Yang Xian Yu Li Hu |
| author_sort | Jun Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: This study aims to investigate the role of empathy in fostering emotional resilience and the impact of social activity on adolescents’ mental health. Methods: A survey was conducted on 1666 adolescents aged from 11 to 15 across seven cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, etc. Results: Empathy is significantly positively related to emotional resilience (<i>β</i> = 0.128; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Moreover, depression acts as a mediator between empathy and emotional resilience (<i>ab</i> = 0.106, <i>SE</i> = 0.021, 95% confidence interval [0.065, 0.146]), while self-efficacy plays an incomplete mediating role (<i>ab</i> = 0.286, <i>SE</i> = 0.020, and a 95% confidence interval of [0.246, 0.326]). Additionally, social activity was able to modulate the relationship between empathy and depression (<i>β</i> = 0.004; <i>p</i> < 0.001), as well as the relationship between empathy and self-efficacy (<i>β</i> = 0.003; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Conclusion: For adolescents, (1) greater emotional resilience is associated with higher levels of empathy; (2) improving empathy can indirectly enhance their emotional resilience by reducing their depression level; (3) the relationship between empathy ability and depression is modulated by social activity, and the predictive effect of empathy on depression is reduced when adolescents have high social activity levels; and (4) the relationship between empathy and self-efficacy is also modulated by social activity, and the predictive effect of empathy on self-efficacy is enhanced when adolescents have higher levels of social activity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:33:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40dd0b2f342247228562d0d77b345694 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:33:14Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-40dd0b2f342247228562d0d77b3456942024-03-27T13:21:34ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2024-03-0114322810.3390/bs14030228Effects of Adolescent Empathy on Emotional Resilience: The Mediating Role of Depression and Self-Efficacy and the Moderating Effect of Social ActivitiesJun Wang0Quanqi Yang1Xian Yu2Li Hu3CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaFaculty of Humanities, Changzhou Vocational Institute Textile and Garment, Changzhou 213164, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaBackground: This study aims to investigate the role of empathy in fostering emotional resilience and the impact of social activity on adolescents’ mental health. Methods: A survey was conducted on 1666 adolescents aged from 11 to 15 across seven cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, etc. Results: Empathy is significantly positively related to emotional resilience (<i>β</i> = 0.128; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Moreover, depression acts as a mediator between empathy and emotional resilience (<i>ab</i> = 0.106, <i>SE</i> = 0.021, 95% confidence interval [0.065, 0.146]), while self-efficacy plays an incomplete mediating role (<i>ab</i> = 0.286, <i>SE</i> = 0.020, and a 95% confidence interval of [0.246, 0.326]). Additionally, social activity was able to modulate the relationship between empathy and depression (<i>β</i> = 0.004; <i>p</i> < 0.001), as well as the relationship between empathy and self-efficacy (<i>β</i> = 0.003; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Conclusion: For adolescents, (1) greater emotional resilience is associated with higher levels of empathy; (2) improving empathy can indirectly enhance their emotional resilience by reducing their depression level; (3) the relationship between empathy ability and depression is modulated by social activity, and the predictive effect of empathy on depression is reduced when adolescents have high social activity levels; and (4) the relationship between empathy and self-efficacy is also modulated by social activity, and the predictive effect of empathy on self-efficacy is enhanced when adolescents have higher levels of social activity.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/3/228empathyemotional resiliencedepressionself-efficacysocial activities |
| spellingShingle | Jun Wang Quanqi Yang Xian Yu Li Hu Effects of Adolescent Empathy on Emotional Resilience: The Mediating Role of Depression and Self-Efficacy and the Moderating Effect of Social Activities Behavioral Sciences empathy emotional resilience depression self-efficacy social activities |
| title | Effects of Adolescent Empathy on Emotional Resilience: The Mediating Role of Depression and Self-Efficacy and the Moderating Effect of Social Activities |
| title_full | Effects of Adolescent Empathy on Emotional Resilience: The Mediating Role of Depression and Self-Efficacy and the Moderating Effect of Social Activities |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Adolescent Empathy on Emotional Resilience: The Mediating Role of Depression and Self-Efficacy and the Moderating Effect of Social Activities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Adolescent Empathy on Emotional Resilience: The Mediating Role of Depression and Self-Efficacy and the Moderating Effect of Social Activities |
| title_short | Effects of Adolescent Empathy on Emotional Resilience: The Mediating Role of Depression and Self-Efficacy and the Moderating Effect of Social Activities |
| title_sort | effects of adolescent empathy on emotional resilience the mediating role of depression and self efficacy and the moderating effect of social activities |
| topic | empathy emotional resilience depression self-efficacy social activities |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/3/228 |
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