Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40282084›Full record

ArticleBehavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)2025

The Double-Edged Sword Effect of Empathic Concern on Mental Health and Behavioral Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Excessive Adaptation.

Rui Wang, Xuanyu Zhang, Lixin Zhu, Huina Teng, Dengdeng Zhang, Boyu Qiu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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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.

Rui WangSchool of Health Management, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, China.
Xuanyu ZhangSchool of Mental Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, China.ORCID 0009-0001-4093-7709
Lixin ZhuSchool of Health Management, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, China.ORCID 0009-0008-5497-5854
Huina TengSchool of Health Management, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, China.
Dengdeng ZhangSchool of Health Management, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, China.
Boyu QiuSchool of Health Management, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, China.

Funding

GuangDong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation #2023A1515110394Guangzhou Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation #2024A04J5080
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study examines the complex effects of empathic concern on mental health and behavioral manifestations and the potential indirect paths through excessive adaptation. A cross-sectional design with 1355 participants was employed. Empathic concern, excessive adaptation, prosocial behaviors, reactive aggression, depression, and positive mental health were assessed using established scales. Structural equation modeling and Bayesian linear regression were applied to analyze the paths. For direct paths, empathic concern positively predicted prosocial behaviors and positive mental health, whereas it was negatively related to depression and reactive aggression. For indirect paths, excessive adaptation was found to mediate the relationship between empathic concern and the outcome variables with the exception of positive mental health. By elucidating the mediating role of excessive adaptation, the results herein not only deepen our understanding of the dual effect of empathic concern on mental health and behavioral manifestations but also offer important insights for the medical and educational fields.

Indexed as

depressionempathic concernexcessive adaptationmental healthprosocial behaviorsreactive aggression

Identifiers

PMID40282084
PMCPMC12024002

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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.