Association between Empathy and Personality in Medical Students

Abstract: Introduction: Empathy is a valuable attribute for a physician, as it positively influences the doctor-patient relationship. Previous studies indicate that there is a correlation between personality and empathy in medical students, but there is no data available in the Brazilian literature so far. This study aimed to analyze the empathy and personality traits of Brazilian medical students, and investigate their association. Methods: First year medical students from the 2015 and 2017 cohorts had their empathy and personality traits evaluated by two instruments using the following scales, respectively: Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Students version (JSE-S) and NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). A descriptive analysis comprised mean, minimum and maximum scores, correlation coefficients and linear regression of personality and empathy. Results: 164 (96.4%) students completed the surveys, and 50.5% were women. The mean global score of the JSE-S was 117.6 ± 10.9; stratification by gender showed scores of 119.5 ± 10.5 and 115.7 ± 11.0, respectively in women and men (p<0.01). In the NEO-FFI, the domain of ‘conscientiousness’ had the highest global mean (29.1 ± 3.8) and ‘neuroticism’, the lowest (21.7 ± 4.7). In women, the highest mean was observed in ‘conscientiousness’ (29.4 ± 3.8) and the lowest in ‘open to new experiences’ (20.6 ± 3.3). In men, the highest and the lowest scores were respectively in the domains ‘conscientiousness’ (29.4 ± 3.9) and ‘neuroticism’ (21.6 ± 4.2). There was a significant difference between men and women in the global score of the JSE-S, and in the personality domains of ‘open to new experiences’ and ‘socialization’. Correlations between empathy and personality were found to be weak and not statistically relevant. Conclusion: The personality traits differed between men and women, but there was no significant correlation between empathy and personality among medical students enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Further investigations are needed to examine how empathy and personality modulate during medical studies using longitudinal approaches.

摘要：
引言：共情（empathy）是医师的宝贵特质，可对医患关系产生积极影响。既往研究表明，医学生的人格特质与共情水平存在关联，但目前巴西尚无相关文献数据。本研究旨在分析巴西医学生的共情水平与人格特质，并探讨二者的相关性。
方法：选取2015级与2017级的一年级医学生，分别采用杰弗逊共情量表学生版（Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Students version, JSE-S）与大五人格简化版问卷（NEO-Five Factor Inventory, NEO-FFI）两种工具对其共情水平与人格特质进行评估。描述性分析内容包括均数、最小值、最大值、相关系数，以及人格特质与共情水平的线性回归分析。
结果：共164名学生（回收率96.4%）完成问卷调查，其中女性占比50.5%。杰弗逊共情量表学生版的总体平均得分为117.6±10.9；按性别分层后，女性与男性的得分分别为119.5±10.5与115.7±11.0（p<0.01）。在大五人格简化版问卷中，"尽责性"维度的总体均数最高（29.1±3.8），"神经质"维度最低（21.7±4.7）。女性群体中，"尽责性"维度均数最高（29.4±3.8），"开放性"维度最低（20.6±3.3）；男性群体中，得分最高与最低的维度分别为"尽责性"（29.4±3.9）与"神经质"（21.6±4.2）。男女在杰弗逊共情量表学生版总体得分，以及"开放性"与"社交性"人格维度上存在显著差异。共情水平与人格特质间的相关性较弱，且无统计学意义。
结论：本横断面研究显示，医学生的人格特质存在性别差异，但共情水平与人格特质间无显著相关性。未来需采用纵向研究方法，进一步探讨医学学习过程中共情与人格特质的变化规律。