TY  - JOUR
AU  - Delgado, Naira
AU  - Bonache, Helena
AU  - Morera, Yurena
AU  - Betancort, Moisés
AU  - Harris, Lasana T.
KW  - Empathy
KW  - Mental states inferences
KW  - Burnout
KW  - Healthcare professionals
T1  - Understanding the Links between Inferring Mental States, Empathy, and Burnout in Medical Contexts
LA  - eng
PY  - 2021
SP  - 158
T2  - Healthcare
SN  - 2227-9032
VL  - 9
IS  - 2
AB  - It is generally accepted that empathy should be the basis of patient care. However, this ideal may be unrealistic if healthcare professionals suffer adverse effects when engaging in empathy. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of inferring mental states and different components of empathy (perspective-taking; empathic concern; personal distress) in burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion; depersonalization; personal accomplishment). A total of 184 healthcare professionals participated in the study (23% male, Mage = 44.60; SD = 10.46). We measured participants’ empathy, the inference of mental states of patients, and burnout. Correlation analyses showed that inferring mental states was positively associated with perspective-taking and with empathic concern, but uncorrelated with personal distress. Furthermore, emotional exhaustion was related to greater levels of personal distress and greater levels of inferences of mental states. Depersonalization was associated with greater levels of personal distress and lower levels of empathic concern. Personal accomplishment was associated with the inference of mental states in patients, lower levels of personal distress, and perspective-taking. These results provide a better understanding of how different components of empathy and mental state inferences may preserve or promote healthcare professionals’ burnout.
DO  - 10.3390/healthcare9020158
UR  - https://portalciencia.ull.es/documentos/6023ed1d62a28973ad974a82
DP  - Dialnet - Portal de la Investigación
ER  -