The Relation of Empathy Levels with Internalizing and Externalizing Problems among Children and Adolescents Who Refer to Child Psychiatry Outpatients
Aim:The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between empathy levels and internalizing-externalizing problems in children and adolescents admitted to child psychiatry outpatient clinics for various reasons, and how this relationship changed according to gender. In addition, it was aim...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Galenos Yayincilik
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Namık Kemal Tıp Dergisi |
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http://namikkemalmedj.com/archives/archive-detail/article-preview/the-relation-of-empathy-levels-with-nternalizing-a/47081
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| author | Ömer BAŞAY Seda Nur EZBER Utku Emre İNCİ Merve ÖZTÜRK Muhammet Orhan SOYUGÜZEL Bürge KABUKÇU BAŞAY |
| author_facet | Ömer BAŞAY Seda Nur EZBER Utku Emre İNCİ Merve ÖZTÜRK Muhammet Orhan SOYUGÜZEL Bürge KABUKÇU BAŞAY |
| author_sort | Ömer BAŞAY |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aim:The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between empathy levels and internalizing-externalizing problems in children and adolescents admitted to child psychiatry outpatient clinics for various reasons, and how this relationship changed according to gender. In addition, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between empathy and the child’s functionality according to parental reporting.Materials and Methods:In the period of May-June 2018, 39 girls and 61 boys (n=100) aged 8-14 years (mean=11.1±2.23) who applied to Pamukkale University Medical Faculty Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department outpatient clinics and volunteered to participate in the study were included in the study. The participants’ parents filled the socio-demographic data form and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the children and adolescents filled an Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents.Results:The girls’ empathy level was statistically significantly higher than boys (p=0.039). There was no significant relationship between empathy skills and age and family income level (p>0.05). There was a negative correlation between empathy levels and emotional problems, conduct problems, peer problems, internalizing and externalizing problems and the SDQ total difficulty score; and a positive relationship between empathy levels and prosocial behaviors (p<0.05; correlation coefficients (r) were between -0.201 and -0.393; 0.370 for prosocial behaviors). When only girls were evaluated, all relationships that were found to be statistically significant disappeared (p>0.05), but stronger relationships were recorded when only boys were evaluated (p<0.05; correlation coefficients (r) were between -0.361 and -0.451; 0.403 for prosocial behaviors). Children and adolescents with better school success, homework habits, and peer relationships also had better empathy skills (p<0.05).Conclusion:Our study results showed an inverse association between children’s internalizing and externalizing problems and their empathy ability. In the clinical sample, especially boys’ empathy skills seem to be related to emotional and behavioral problems. Attempts to improve empathic attitudes can help reduce emotional and behavioral difficulties that children and adolescents will experience and improve their functionality. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T14:15:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ba39db3e7afa466eb9d31cad33865a72 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2587-0262 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T14:15:41Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Galenos Yayincilik |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Namık Kemal Tıp Dergisi |
| spelling | doaj.art-ba39db3e7afa466eb9d31cad33865a722023-02-15T16:09:33ZengGalenos YayincilikNamık Kemal Tıp Dergisi2587-02622021-04-01919110010.4274/nkmj.galenos.2021.82011813049054The Relation of Empathy Levels with Internalizing and Externalizing Problems among Children and Adolescents Who Refer to Child Psychiatry OutpatientsÖmer BAŞAY0Seda Nur EZBER1Utku Emre İNCİ2Merve ÖZTÜRK3Muhammet Orhan SOYUGÜZEL4Bürge KABUKÇU BAŞAY5 Pamukkale Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Çocuk ve Ergen Ruh Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı, Denizli, Türkiye Pamukkale Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Tıp Öğrencisi, Denizli, Türkiye Pamukkale Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Tıp Öğrencisi, Denizli, Türkiye Pamukkale Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Tıp Öğrencisi, Denizli, Türkiye Pamukkale Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Tıp Öğrencisi, Denizli, Türkiye Pamukkale Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Çocuk ve Ergen Ruh Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı, Denizli, Türkiye Aim:The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between empathy levels and internalizing-externalizing problems in children and adolescents admitted to child psychiatry outpatient clinics for various reasons, and how this relationship changed according to gender. In addition, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between empathy and the child’s functionality according to parental reporting.Materials and Methods:In the period of May-June 2018, 39 girls and 61 boys (n=100) aged 8-14 years (mean=11.1±2.23) who applied to Pamukkale University Medical Faculty Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department outpatient clinics and volunteered to participate in the study were included in the study. The participants’ parents filled the socio-demographic data form and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the children and adolescents filled an Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents.Results:The girls’ empathy level was statistically significantly higher than boys (p=0.039). There was no significant relationship between empathy skills and age and family income level (p>0.05). There was a negative correlation between empathy levels and emotional problems, conduct problems, peer problems, internalizing and externalizing problems and the SDQ total difficulty score; and a positive relationship between empathy levels and prosocial behaviors (p<0.05; correlation coefficients (r) were between -0.201 and -0.393; 0.370 for prosocial behaviors). When only girls were evaluated, all relationships that were found to be statistically significant disappeared (p>0.05), but stronger relationships were recorded when only boys were evaluated (p<0.05; correlation coefficients (r) were between -0.361 and -0.451; 0.403 for prosocial behaviors). Children and adolescents with better school success, homework habits, and peer relationships also had better empathy skills (p<0.05).Conclusion:Our study results showed an inverse association between children’s internalizing and externalizing problems and their empathy ability. In the clinical sample, especially boys’ empathy skills seem to be related to emotional and behavioral problems. Attempts to improve empathic attitudes can help reduce emotional and behavioral difficulties that children and adolescents will experience and improve their functionality. http://namikkemalmedj.com/archives/archive-detail/article-preview/the-relation-of-empathy-levels-with-nternalizing-a/47081 empathyemotional problemsconduct problems |
| spellingShingle | Ömer BAŞAY Seda Nur EZBER Utku Emre İNCİ Merve ÖZTÜRK Muhammet Orhan SOYUGÜZEL Bürge KABUKÇU BAŞAY The Relation of Empathy Levels with Internalizing and Externalizing Problems among Children and Adolescents Who Refer to Child Psychiatry Outpatients Namık Kemal Tıp Dergisi empathy emotional problems conduct problems |
| title | The Relation of Empathy Levels with Internalizing and Externalizing Problems among Children and Adolescents Who Refer to Child Psychiatry Outpatients |
| title_full | The Relation of Empathy Levels with Internalizing and Externalizing Problems among Children and Adolescents Who Refer to Child Psychiatry Outpatients |
| title_fullStr | The Relation of Empathy Levels with Internalizing and Externalizing Problems among Children and Adolescents Who Refer to Child Psychiatry Outpatients |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Relation of Empathy Levels with Internalizing and Externalizing Problems among Children and Adolescents Who Refer to Child Psychiatry Outpatients |
| title_short | The Relation of Empathy Levels with Internalizing and Externalizing Problems among Children and Adolescents Who Refer to Child Psychiatry Outpatients |
| title_sort | relation of empathy levels with internalizing and externalizing problems among children and adolescents who refer to child psychiatry outpatients |
| topic | empathy emotional problems conduct problems |
| url |
http://namikkemalmedj.com/archives/archive-detail/article-preview/the-relation-of-empathy-levels-with-nternalizing-a/47081
|
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