The Importance of Empathy for Mental Health

Did you know that promoting empathy within both individuals and communities can result in better mental health outcomes? Last time, we dived into the intricate workings of the neural circuits and brain regions that make up our capacity for compassion. Today, we’re touching on just how fundamental empathy is when it comes to good mental health and a happier society.

Emotional regulation

While some of us may feel that empathy can almost feel painful, it actually serves a key purpose in helping us to moderate our emotions and understand the emotions and actions of others. Over time, experiencing empathy can reduce the risk of emotional dysregulation, which is tied to various mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression. 

Greater resilience 

Similarly, connecting to others around us and sharing emotional experiences helps us to find meaning in adversity. Sharing emotions on a wider scale and feeling how others feel can also help to buffer against some of the negative side effects of trauma and stress. This creates the building blocks of psychological resilience and helps us to form coping strategies.

Empathy in therapy

Several popular therapeutic approaches including CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy utilize the power of empathy. Individuals in treatment who are shown empathy report feelings of validation that help them to work through their issues and achieve positive outcomes.

Connection is key

As we’ve previously discussed, social bonds and supportive relationships are crucial to our overall longevity, mental health, and brain health. And empathy is an essential tool that helps us to form and maintain meaningful relationships throughout our lives, that can provide us with emotional support during difficult times.

Promoting prosocial behavior

Not only does empathy foster a greater sense of connection, belonging, and improve our mental health, but it has also been shown to inhibit aggressive and harmful behaviours and anti-social behaviour, both individually and on a community level. In turn, prosocial actions, such as comforting and assisting others, are increased.

The profound impact of empathy on our brains, mental health, and the world that we live in can’t be understated, so let’s work towards nurturing our compassionate side!