The Key Role of Empathy in the Relationship between Age and Social Support
Aging involves several changes depending on genetic and behavioral factors, such as lifestyle and the number and quality of social relationships, which in turn can be influenced by empathy. Here, the change in the perceived social support across the lifespan as a function of empathy was investigated...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/17/2464 |
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| author | Paola Guariglia Massimiliano Palmiero Anna Maria Giannini Laura Piccardi |
| author_facet | Paola Guariglia Massimiliano Palmiero Anna Maria Giannini Laura Piccardi |
| author_sort | Paola Guariglia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aging involves several changes depending on genetic and behavioral factors, such as lifestyle and the number and quality of social relationships, which in turn can be influenced by empathy. Here, the change in the perceived social support across the lifespan as a function of empathy was investigated, considering the mediating role of empathy after controlling for gender and education. In total, 441 people (18–91 years old) filled in the Italian short version of the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-12), the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ6), as well as the Empathy Questionnaire (EQ), and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMET). The mediation analyses with ISEL-12 showed that age and the EQ fully mediated the relationship between age and appraisal, belonging, and tangible scores. Further, the EQ fully mediated only the relationship between age and SSQ6-People. These results showed that empathic skills are key in the relationships between age and social support. This suggests that empathy can trigger social support and, ultimately, well-being if stimulated across the lifespan, especially from a young age; this would help to form the socio-emotional competence across the years as a sort of cushion that can be useful in the older to fulfill active aging. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:23:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ecf4cdcd56ac47cbbddee7c4335bc179 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:23:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-ecf4cdcd56ac47cbbddee7c4335bc1792023-11-19T08:11:18ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-09-011117246410.3390/healthcare11172464The Key Role of Empathy in the Relationship between Age and Social SupportPaola Guariglia0Massimiliano Palmiero1Anna Maria Giannini2Laura Piccardi3Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, UKE—Kore University of Enna, 94100 Enna, ItalyDepartment of Communication Sciences, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00158 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00158 Rome, ItalyAging involves several changes depending on genetic and behavioral factors, such as lifestyle and the number and quality of social relationships, which in turn can be influenced by empathy. Here, the change in the perceived social support across the lifespan as a function of empathy was investigated, considering the mediating role of empathy after controlling for gender and education. In total, 441 people (18–91 years old) filled in the Italian short version of the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-12), the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ6), as well as the Empathy Questionnaire (EQ), and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMET). The mediation analyses with ISEL-12 showed that age and the EQ fully mediated the relationship between age and appraisal, belonging, and tangible scores. Further, the EQ fully mediated only the relationship between age and SSQ6-People. These results showed that empathic skills are key in the relationships between age and social support. This suggests that empathy can trigger social support and, ultimately, well-being if stimulated across the lifespan, especially from a young age; this would help to form the socio-emotional competence across the years as a sort of cushion that can be useful in the older to fulfill active aging.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/17/2464well-beingaffective supportcommunity engagementageingmental healthsocio-emotional skills |
| spellingShingle | Paola Guariglia Massimiliano Palmiero Anna Maria Giannini Laura Piccardi The Key Role of Empathy in the Relationship between Age and Social Support Healthcare well-being affective support community engagement ageing mental health socio-emotional skills |
| title | The Key Role of Empathy in the Relationship between Age and Social Support |
| title_full | The Key Role of Empathy in the Relationship between Age and Social Support |
| title_fullStr | The Key Role of Empathy in the Relationship between Age and Social Support |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Key Role of Empathy in the Relationship between Age and Social Support |
| title_short | The Key Role of Empathy in the Relationship between Age and Social Support |
| title_sort | key role of empathy in the relationship between age and social support |
| topic | well-being affective support community engagement ageing mental health socio-emotional skills |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/17/2464 |
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