The association between childhood trauma and empathy in patients with stable schizophrenia

Abstract

Introduction

Empathy, which refers to the ability to understand and share the thoughts and feelings of others, has emerged as an important topic in the field of social neuroscience. It is one of the most understudied dimensions of social cognition in schizophrenia (SCZ).

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between cognitive and affective empathy and CT in SCZ.

Methods

Fifty-eight outpatients with stable SCZ completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire retrospectively assessing five types of childhood trauma (emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and emotional and physical neglect). They also completed the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) comprising five subscales intended to assess cognitive and affective components of empathy.

Results

Patients with a history of sexual abuse better emotion contagion scores (P = 0.048) which means that develop more easily self-oriented emotional state matching the affective states of others. Patients with a history of emotional neglect or/and in denial of CT had higher scores in perspective taking score (P = 0.017). Perspective taking assesses the extent to which respondents can take another's perspective or see things from another's point-of-view.

Conclusions

Investigating psychosocial mechanisms, specifically the role of CT, underlying the development of empathic capacities is important since empathy can represent a treatment-target.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.