Changes in temperament, character and intensity of empathy in adolescents treated in a day care unit - pilot study.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to compare the level of empathy, temperament and character traits before and after 6 months of treatment in a group of patients staying in a psychiatric day care unit in groups with different (internalising vs. externalising) disorder types.

Methods: The study was conducted in a group of 44 patients (33 girls and 11 boys), aged 15-20, treated between 2016 and 2021 in the Clinical Day Care Unit of the Department of Adult, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the University Hospital in Krakow. 40% of the adolescents had externalising disorders and 60% had internalising disorders. The Davis Empathy Scale and the Cohen Empathy Scale were used in the study, as well as the Cloninger' Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI).

Results: Six months of treatment in a day care unit resulted in statistically significant changes in the "Fantasy" scale from the Davis Empathy Scale, in the "Reward dependence", "Self-directedness" and "Self-transcendence" subscales on the Temperament and Character Inventory in the group of adolescents with internalising disorders. In the group of adolescents with externalising disorders, there were changes at the level of statistical trend in the values of the "Fantasy" scale and the "Harm Avoidance" scale of the Temperament and Character Inventory.

Conclusions: The obtained results are in line with the available data in terms of differences in temperament and character profiles between types of mental disorders and constellations of traits that are unfavourable for mental health, such as low self-directedness, harm avoidance and reward dependence.