Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39879125›Full record

SynthesisThe journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences2025

Empathy and Psychological Outcomes in Informal Caregivers of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Meng Huo, Thi Vu, Tomiko Yoneda, Jingkai Wei, Bruce Abbott, Joan K Monin

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. "One More Picture:" A Mixed-Methods Examination of Caption Content in a Photo Captioning Cognitive Empathy Intervention for Dementia-Caregivers.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Meng HuoDepartment of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0060-1151
Thi VuSchool of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Tomiko YonedaDepartment of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2906-1881
Jingkai WeiDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
Bruce AbbottUniversity Library, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Joan K MoninSchool of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1729-0230

Funding

UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterP30AG072972 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · PI Charles DeCarli, Rachel A Whitmer · 2021 to 2026
$25.2M
Empathy, Support Exchanges, and Well-Being in Older Couples Coping With Early Stage Alzheimer’s DiseaseR21AG069045 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · PI HUO, MENG · 2021 to 2021
$424k
NIA NIH HHS P30 AG072972NIA NIH HHS R21 AG069045NIA NIH HHS R21AG069045-01A1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesScholars 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' and care recipients' empathy were associated with caregivers' psychological health.

methodsWe 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' negative psychological outcomes (e.g., depressive symptoms, anxiety, burden, burnout, stress).

resultsWe observed small, nonsignificant associations linking caregivers' 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. DISCUSSION: This review reveals considerable heterogeneity in extant research but still offers robust evidence linking care recipients' empathy to caregivers' 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.

Indexed as

CaregiversEmpathyIndependent LivingAgedAnxietyDepressionHumansStress, PsychologicalCaregivingCompassionEmpathic accuracyPersonal distress

Identifiers

PMID39879125
PMCPMC12125626

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.