Examining the relation between empathy and hair cortisol levels

Empathy is essential for social communication, facilitating interpersonal relationships and well-being. While stress can influence social interactions, the biological relationship between chronic stress and empathy remains unclear, as prior research has primarily focused on acute stress. Here we aimed to address this gap by examining the link between hair cortisol levels, as a biomarker of chronic stress, and the different components of empathy. Participants were 42 mothers who provided hair samples, which were analyzed to assess cortisol levels. We focused on mothers due to their central caregiving role and the relevance of caregiving-related stress for cortisol regulation and empathy. Additionally, mothers filled out a battery of online questionnaires assessing different dimensions of empathy: cognitive empathy (the ability to understand others' emotions), empathic concern (compassion for others) and personal distress (self-focused emotional response to others' emotions). We found that maternal hair cortisol level is predicted by personal distress, suggesting that mothers experiencing higher stress levels may also be more emotionally overwhelmed when encountering others' distress. However, no significant associations were observed between cortisol levels and empathic concern or cognitive empathy. These results underscore the complex interplay between stress and empathy components. Physiologically, these distinct emotional components of empathy may alter stress responses in opposite directions.