Evaluation of Dental Student Empathy Scores Using Cognitive and Effective Empathy Measures

Empathy is stressed as an important component of patient-centered practice and training within the dental profession, yet assessment of both cognitive and affective empathy among dental students in a US dental school model is sparse.

To determine if dental students' cognitive and affective empathy differs by class year, gender, and age in a US dental school model.

This cross-sectional study examined self-reported empathy levels of first to fourth year dental students from a US dental school, using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students (JSE-HPS) and the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ). Questions were scored using a 1-7 Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree); associations were tested using ANOVA and two-sample t-tests.

Two-thirds of the dental students (66%) took the survey, n = 280. Most were female (50%), between 19 and 24 years old (52%), and in their first or second year of dental school (66%). The average JSE-HPS score was 112 ± 11 and the average TEQ score was 91 ± 11. JSE-HPS scores were significantly different between dental classes (p = 0.012). Fourth year students had significantly lower JSE-HPS scores than the first and third year students (108 vs. 114 and 114; Tukey's p = 0.022 and 0.044). Females and students < 25 years demonstrated significantly higher empathy both JSE-HP and TEQ. Cognitive and affective empathy measures were positively associated (Pearson r = 0.63, p < 0.001).

Dental educators should be aware of changes in student empathy levels during dental training to support and promote empathy development across class years within the US dental school model.