Do Empathic Perspectives Shape Burnout Trajectories? a Longitudinal Experiment with Caregivers

Correlational research shows that empathizing with others’ negative emotions predicts greater burnout, whereas empathizing with positive emotions predicts less. To examine the causal relationship between empathy and burnout, we conducted a field intervention with nurses. The design tests whether fostering positive empathy may represent a scalable strategy for reducing burnout.