Empatia clínica e satisfação por compaixão em médicos/as: Análise de mediadores potenciais

Francisca Rosa; Ana Alves-Nogueira; Cláudia Melo; Maria Cristina Canavarro; Carlos Carona

doi:10.31211/rpics.2025.11.1.346

Authors

Francisca Rosa Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6040-0671
Ana Alves-Nogueira Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4121-5916
Cláudia Melo Centro de Investigação em Neuropsicologia e Intervenção Cognitivo-Comportamental (CINEICC) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3791-4039
Maria Cristina Canavarro Centro de Investigação em Neuropsicologia e Intervenção Cognitivo-Comportamental (CINEICC), Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação; Unidade de Psicologia Clínica Cognitivo-Comportamental (UpC3), Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5083-7322
Carlos Carona Centro de Investigação em Neuropsicologia e Intervenção Cognitivo-Comportamental (CINEICC), Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação; Unidade de Psicologia Clínica Cognitivo-Comportamental (UpC3), Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3605-3513

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31211/rpics.2025.11.1.346

Keywords:

Compassion, Clinical Empathy, Physicians, Physician-patient Relationship, Cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Clinical empathy is an intrinsic attribute of the medical profession and is associated with greater physicians’ compassion satisfaction levels. However, little is known about the potentially modifiable mechanisms underlying this relationship. Aim: This study aimed to analyze the direct and indirect effects of clinical empathy on physicians’ compassion satisfaction via the quality of therapeutic relationships and barriers to compassion. Method: A sample of 222 physicians, collected exclusively online, completed a set of self-report instruments. Direct and indirect effects were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: Clinical empathy was moderately and positively correlated with the quality of therapeutic relationships and compassion satisfaction, and negatively correlated with barriers to compassion. An indirect effect of clinical empathy on compassion satisfaction was observed through the quality of therapeutic relationships (b = .05, 95% IC [.02; .10]) and barriers to compassion (b = .02, 95% IC [.01; .05]). The model explained around 31% of the variability in compassion satisfaction levels. Conclusions: Higher levels of empathy among physicians may lead to greater compassion satisfaction through better quality of therapeutic relationships and lower perceived barriers to compassion. Intervention programs targeting these mechanisms might increase positive mental health in these professionals.

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References

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