Relationship Between Empathy and Interpersonal Distress of Chinese Left-Behind Children: The Role of Emotion Regulation and Gender

Introduction: Interpersonal relationship serve as crucial of social support and a sense of security for left-behind children, playing a compensatory role in mitigating the absence of familial affection. Interpersonal distress can significantly impact their mental well-being. Although previous research has established a connection between empathy and interpersonal distress, the mechanisms by which empathy triggers interpersonal distress, as well as potential gender-based variations in this relationship, remain elusive. To bridge this gap in knowledge, this study investigates the mediating influence of emotion regulation and the moderating impact of gender in the relationship between empathy and interpersonal distress. Methods: A total of 713 rural left-behind children completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index scale, Emotion Regulation Competence Scale, and Interpersonal Relationship Assessment Scale. Results: Pearson correlation analyses suggested strong significant correlations among empathy, emotion regulation ability, and interpersonal distress. Path analyses indicated that emotion regulation ability mediated the relationship between empathy and interpersonal distress. Furthermore, hierarchical regression analyses suggest a moderating effect of gender in the relationship between empathy and emotion regulation ability. Discussion: The present study reveals the role of emotion regulation ability and gender in the relationship between empathy and interpersonal distress, which has important theoretical and practical implications for the prevention and intervention of interpersonal distress in left-behind children. Moreover, it may strengthen the relationship between peer and teacher at school, and improve the quality of parent-child communication at home. Keywords: empathy, interpersonal distress, emotion regulation ability, gender, left-behind children