Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026

A Cross-Disciplinary and Multi-Modal Experimental Design for Studying Near-Real-Time Authentic Examination Experiences
Published on: September 4, 2019
Self-compassion, positive mental health, and empathy in nursing students: A structural equation modelling approach
Montserrat Sanromà-Ortiz1, Judith Roca2, Alba Torné-Ruiz3
1Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Lleida, 08700, Igualada Spain; IRBLLeida, Universitat de Lleida, 25198, Lleida, Spain; Blanquerna School of Health Sciences, Ramon Llull University, 08025, Barcelona, Spain; Global Health, Gender and Society (GHenderS), Blanquerna School of Health Sciences, Ramon Llull University, 08025, Barcelona, Spain.
Background:
Empathy is central to humanised nursing but vulnerable to erosion in demanding academic and clinical settings. Positive mental health (PMH) encompassing emotional, psychological, and social well-being, may regulate how self-compassion is statistically linked to empathic engagement. However, evidence in nursing students remains limited.
Aim:
To examine the statistical association of positive mental health in the relationship between self-compassion and empathy among undergraduate nursing students within a structural equation modelling (SEM) framework.
Design:
Observational, analytical, cross-sectional study.
Methods:
A total of 402 nursing students from a public university completed validated measures of self-compassion, empathy, and PMH. SEM with latent variables was conducted using diagonally weighted least squares (DWLS) to account for ordinal and non-normal data. Model fit was assessed using multiple indices, acknowledging the complexity of the latent structure.
Results:
Self-compassion was positively associated with PMH (β = 0.772, p < 0.001), which related positively to empathy (β = 0.689, p < 0.001). The indirect effect via PMH was positive (β = 0.532, p < 0.001), while the direct effect of self-compassion on empathy was negative when controlling for PMH (β = -0.553, p < 0.001), indicating an inconsistent mediation pattern. The model explained 59.6% of the variance in positive mental health and 19.3% in empathy.
Conclusion:
PMH appears to be a key correlate in the association between self-compassion and empathy. Findings suggest that emotional well-being may be an important foundation for relational competence, although the study's cross-sectional nature precludes causal inferences and the marginal model fit warrants a cautious interpretation.
Implications For Nursing Education:
Fostering empathy may require more than interpersonal skills training. Nursing curricula could benefit from integrating positive mental health promotion, including training in self-compassion and emotional regulation, to support empathic and humanised nursing practice across educational and clinical contexts.
Related Concept Videos
Empathy
Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model
The Scientific Method
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Sources of Self-Esteem II: Performance Feedback
Modeling in Therapy
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...