Empathic Accuracy is Associated with Greater Depressive Symptoms in the Context of a Spouse’s Depressive Symptoms

摘要

Empathic accuracy (accurately rating a target’s emotions) is beneficial for interpersonal functioning. However, high empathic accuracy may be problematic for one’s own mental health in the context of a partner’s depressed affect. In a sample of 154 couples in long-term marriages, we found that greater empathic accuracy was associated with greater depressive symptoms when one’s spouse has high levels of depressive symptoms.