Association between emotional intelligence and empathy among medical students: a single center cross-sectional study, Brazil, 2019

Silva, Janaína Teixeira Nunes; Toledo Júnior, Antonio

doi:10.1590/1981-5271v45.1-20200053.ING

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE • Rev. bras. educ. med. 45 (01) • 2021 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1981-5271v45.1-20200053.ING copy

Association between emotional intelligence and empathy among medical students: a single center cross-sectional study, Brazil, 2019

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract:

Introduction:

Emotional intelligence (EI) and empathy are two essential skills for person-centered Medicine.

Objectives:

To evaluate the association between EI and empathy and to assess whether sociodemographic factors and year at the medical school influence the level of EI and empathy.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study carried out in medical students from a private educational institution in the city of São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil. EI levels were assessed using the Schutte Self-report Emotional Intelligence Test and empathy levels were assessed using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (student version). All volunteers signed the Informed Consent Form before inclusion in the study. The statistical analysis used mean values, standard deviation, frequency distribution, Student’s t test, Pearson’s correlation, and linear regression. A significance level of 0.05 was considered.

Results:

From August 5 to 30, 2019, 193 volunteers, corresponding to 85.8% of the total population, agreed to participate in the study. The total EI (129.8 ± 13.3) and empathy (121.2 ± 11.6) observed scores were high. EI scores were influenced only by age (p_adjusted = 0.018). Students attending more advanced semesters had higher total empathy scores (p_adjusted = 0.013). Students whose parents did not have a higher education degree also had a higher total empathy score (p_adjusted = 0.031). A moderate positive correlation was observed between the total EI and empathy scores (ρ =0.304, p<0.001) and between the total empathy score and the EI domain Managing Others’ Emotions (ρ =0.300, p<0.001). A weak positive correlation was also observed between the total EI score and most of the empathy domains.

Conclusion:

A positive correlation between emotional intelligence and empathy was observed. The age influenced EI and the year of medical school and parental schooling influenced empathy.

Keywords:
Medical Education; Medical Students; Empathy; Emotional Intelligence

Variable		N	%
Gender	Female	126	65.3
Gender	Male	67	34.7
Marital status	Single	186	96.4
Marital status	Married/Others	7	3.6
Program semester*	1^st	40	20.7
	2^nd	42	21.8
	3^rd	33	17.1
	6^th	35	18.1
	8^th	20	10.4
	9^th	23	11.9
Parental schooling level	Neither has a high education degree	42	21.8
	One has a high education degree	61	31.6
	Both have a high education degree	88	45.6
	No information	2	1.0
Previous degree	No	179	92.7
Previous degree	Yes	14	7.3
Preferred medical specialty	Clinical specialty	105	54.4
	Surgical specialty	82	42.5
	No information	6	3.1
Has a case of severe disease in the family	No	148	76.7
	Yes	42	21.8
	No information	3	1.5
Has a personal severe disease	No	186	96.4
Has a personal severe disease	Yes	7	3.6
Previous mental disorder	No	135	69.9
	Yes	57	29.5
	No information	1	0.6
Age		22.6 (mean)	4.1 (SD)

Emotional Intelligence	Score interval	Mean	SD
Total score	33-165	129.8	13.3
Perception of Emotion	10-50	36.6	5.2
Managing Own Emotion	9-45	37.1	5.3
Managing Others’ Emotions	8-40	31.7	4.1
Use of Emotion	6-30	24.3	3.3
Empathy	Score interval	Mean	SD
Total score	20-140	121.2	11.6
Perspective Taking	7-49	41.6	5.1
Compassionate Care	11-77	70.9	7.2
Ability to Stand in the Patient’s Shoes	2-14	8.8	3.1

Variable		n	Mean	SD	p_crude*	p_adjusted
Program semester***		193	---	---	0.216**	0.811
Age***		193	---	---	0.041**	0.018
Gender***	Female	126	129.6	13.3	0.740	0.948
Gender***	Male	67	130.2	13.3
Marital status ***	Single	186	130.0	13.1	0.240	0.074
Marital status ***	Married/Others	7	124.0	17.3
Parental schooling level	Neither with high education degree	42	130.0	14.1	0.833	---
Parental schooling level	≥ 1 with High education degree	149	129.5	13.0
Previous high education degree	No	179	129.5	13.4	0.234	---
Previous high education degree	Yes	14	133.9	10.1
Intended specialty type	Clinical specialty	105	130.1	13.3	0.861	---
Intended specialty type	Surgical specialty	82	129.7	13.5
Has a case of severe disease in the family	No	148	129.6	13.2	0.513	---
Has a case of severe disease in the family	Yes	42	131.1	13.7
Has a personal severe disease	No	186	129.6	13.3	0.362	---
Has a personal severe disease	Yes	7	134.3	13.4
Previous mental disorder***	No	135	130.5	12.3	0.250	0.208
Previous mental disorder***	Yes	57	128.1	15.4

Variable		n	Mean	SD	p_crude*	p_adjusted
Program semester***		193	---	---	<0.001**	0.013
Age***		193	---	---	0.850**	---
Gender	Female	126	122.2	11.0	0.122	0.109
Gender	Male	67	119.5	12.5
Marital status	Single	186	121.2	11.8	0.856	---
Marital status	Married/Others	7	122.0	3.7
Parental schooling level***	Neither with high education degree	42	125.0	9.4	0.018	0.031
Parental schooling level***	≥ 1 with high education degree	149	120.3	11.8
Previous high education degree	No	179	121.4	11.5	0.444	---
Previous high education degree	Yes	14	118.9	13.3
Intended specialty type	Clinical specialty	105	121.5	12.4	0.602	---
Intended specialty type	Surgical specialty	82	120.6	10.8
Has a case of severe disease in the family	No	148	121.5	11.4	0.390	---
Has a case of severe disease in the family	Yes	42	119.8	12.4
Has a personal severe disease	No	186	121.1	11.7	0.540	---
Has a personal severe disease	Yes	7	123.9	9.1
Previous mental disorder	No	135	121.2	11.2	0.955	---
Previous mental disorder	Yes	57	121.3	12.7

Total score of emotional intelligence	ρ	p*
Total empathy score	0.304	0.000
Perspective Taking	0.236	0.001
Compassionate Care	0.222	0.002
Ability to Stand in the Patient’s Shoes	0.236	0.001
Perception of Emotion	ρ	p*
Total empathy score	0.230	0.001
Perspective taking	0.143	0.047
Compassion	0.168	0.019
Capacity to put oneself in the other’s place	0.237	0.001
Managing Own Emotions	ρ	p*
Total empathy score	0.189	0.009
Perspective Taking	0.145	0.044
Compassionate Care	0.133	0.065
Ability to Stand in the Patient’s Shoes	0.161	0.025
Managing Others’ Emotions	ρ	p*
Total empathy score	0.300	0.000
Perspective Taking	0.251	0.000
Compassionate Care	0.245	0.001
Ability to Stand in the Patient’s Shoes	0.145	0.044
Use of Emotion	ρ	p*
Total empathy score	0.183	0.011
Perspective Taking	0.177	0.014
Compassionate Care	0.111	0.123
Ability to Stand in the Patient’s Shoes	0.137	0.058

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