{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T14:16:18Z","timestamp":1774016178343,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]],"date-time":"2025-01-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1738108800000},"content-version":"am","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pages\/standard-publication-reuse-rights"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Objectives<\/jats:title>\n Scholars have increasingly recognized the crucial role that empathy plays as informal caregivers provide unpaid care to their older family and friends (i.e., care recipients). Yet, the existing literature exhibits substantial variability in study approaches and results, which limits the extent to which this literature can inform interventions intended to benefit informal caregivers. We sought to address this critical gap by synthesizing research that examined how caregivers\u2019 and care recipients\u2019 empathy were associated with caregivers\u2019 psychological health.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n We conducted a literature search using PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), EMBASE, and Scopus databases and systematically reviewed 21 peer-reviewed studies that were eligible for the current study. We utilized a multilevel random-effects approach and meta-analyzed 17 studies focused on caregivers\u2019 negative psychological outcomes (e.g., depressive symptoms, anxiety, burden, burnout, stress).<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n We observed small, non-significant associations linking caregivers\u2019 emotional and cognitive empathy to their negative psychological outcomes. Yet, there were moderate, significant associations between greater emotional and cognitive empathy in care recipients and less negative psychological outcomes in caregivers. We also ran sensitivity tests for different aspects of emotional and cognitive empathy.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Discussion<\/jats:title>\n This review reveals considerable heterogeneity in extant research but still offers robust evidence linking care recipients\u2019 empathy to caregivers\u2019 psychological health. Findings highlight the importance of engaging care recipients in interventions targeting caregivers and call for more consistent and nuanced investigations of empathy in caregiving.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/geronb\/gbaf018","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]],"date-time":"2025-01-29T18:50:24Z","timestamp":1738176624000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Empathy and psychological outcomes in informal caregivers of community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis"],"prefix":"10.1093","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0060-1151","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Meng","family":"Huo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis , Davis, CA,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Thi","family":"Vu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven , CT,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2906-1881","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tomiko","family":"Yoneda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis , Davis, CA,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jingkai","family":"Wei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family and Community Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston , Houston, TX,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bruce","family":"Abbott","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University Library, University of California, Davis , Davis, CA,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1729-0230","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joan K","family":"Monin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven , CT,","place":["USA"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]]},"container-title":["The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/psychsocgerontology\/advance-article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/geronb\/gbaf018\/61685332\/gbaf018.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"am","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/psychsocgerontology\/advance-article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/geronb\/gbaf018\/61685332\/gbaf018.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]],"date-time":"2025-01-29T18:50:25Z","timestamp":1738176625000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/psychsocgerontology\/advance-article\/doi\/10.1093\/geronb\/gbaf018\/7989352"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/geronb\/gbaf018","relation":{},"ISSN":["1079-5014","1758-5368"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1079-5014","type":"print"},{"value":"1758-5368","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,29]]},"article-number":"gbaf018"}}