title: Empathy is Associated with Meaning of Life and Mental Health Treatment but not Religiosity Among Brazilian Medical Students.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of spirituality, religiosity, personal beliefs, and previous contact with health issues on the level of empathy in medical students. Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Student Version, WHOQOL-Spirituality, Religiousness and Personal Beliefs, and Duke University Religion Index were applied to 285 Brazilian medical students. The findings suggest that meaning of life and previous mental health treatment but not Religiosity were positively related to empathy. We suggest that more attention should be given for prevention and treatment of mental health issues, and further studies are needed to understand and replicate these findings.
authors: College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, Rua Bruno Biagioni, 115, Sorocaba, SP, CEP 18051-870, Brazil. damianorf@gmail.com.
authors: Rodolfo Furlan
authors: RF
authors: Damiano
authors: Department of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil.
authors: Luciana Maria
authors: LM
authors: de Andrade Ribeiro
authors: College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, Rua Bruno Biagioni, 115, Sorocaba, SP, CEP 18051-870, Brazil.
authors: Amanda Guedes
authors: AG
authors: Dos Santos
authors: College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, Rua Bruno Biagioni, 115, Sorocaba, SP, CEP 18051-870, Brazil.
authors: Barbara Almeida
authors: BA
authors: da Silva
authors: School of Medicine, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil.
authors: Giancarlo
authors: G
authors: Lucchetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Empathy; Medical education; Medical students; Mental health; Spirituality