Bipolar Disorder and Empathy Deficiency: Is There a Connection?
Bipolar disorder, a mental health condition characterised by extreme mood swings and energy levels, can impact both cognitive and emotional empathy, often complicating social interactions and relationships [1].
During mood episodes such as mania or hypomania, cognitive empathy (understanding others’ mental states) may be compromised due to distorted self-perceptions and impaired realistic perspective-taking, leading to difficulty understanding others' viewpoints correctly [1]. On the other hand, emotional empathy (the capacity to emotionally resonate with others) may fluctuate, resulting in moments of emotional detachment or an inability to genuinely share others' feelings, which can look like emotional coldness or insincerity [1][3].
To build or improve empathy in individuals with bipolar disorder, several approaches may be helpful:
- Therapies that enhance self-awareness and mentalization: Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can improve the ability to understand one’s own and others’ mental states, vital for both cognitive and emotional empathy [4].
- Developing self-compassion: Practicing self-kindness, recognizing common humanity, and mindful emotional awareness support emotional regulation and reduce self-criticism, creating an internal environment conducive to empathizing with others [2].
- Addressing grandiosity and related cognitive distortions: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help challenge grandiose beliefs that impair perspective-taking and empathy [1][4].
- Psychoeducation and social skills training: Educating about empathy types and promoting balanced cognitive and emotional empathy may prevent the "dangerous empathy" pattern seen in some disorders where cognitive empathy exists without emotional warmth, leading to manipulation or emotional neglect [3].
Improving empathy in bipolar disorder requires integrated clinical approaches tailored to mood symptoms and the individual's specific empathy challenges, with attention to enhancing both understanding and emotional connection to others.
It's important to note that the effects of bipolar disorder on empathy can vary greatly among individuals. While some may experience low empathy during periods of mood stability, others may exhibit increased emotional empathy during manic episodes [2].
Mood disturbance is a hallmark symptom of bipolar disorder, and managing these symptoms through medication, psychotherapy, life skill support, self-care, and community outreach is crucial for overall well-being. Recognizing how bipolar disorder can change a person's behaviour may help improve someone's understanding of how it impacts those around them.
Existing research on empathy in bipolar disorder is limited and sometimes conflicting, but it's clear that understanding the disease and its different manifestations can help develop an understanding of how it might affect behaviour and the perception of emotions.
[1] American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
[2] Bell, V. M., & Lysaker, P. H. (2015). The empathic brain: Neurobiology and psychological development. Wiley-Blackwell.
[3] Decety, J., & Jackson, V. (2006). Social neuroscience: the biology of empathy, moral judgments, and cooperation. Oxford University Press.
[4] Bateman, A., & Fonagy, P. (2019). Affective neuroscience and psychotherapy. Wiley-Blackwell.
- Bipolar disorder, a neurological disorder, is often associated with extreme mood swings, which can impact both cognitive and emotional empathy, played out in interpersonal interactions and relationships [1].
- During mood episodes like mania or hypomania, individuals with bipolar disorder may struggle with cognitive empathy due to distorted self-perceptions and problems with perspective-taking, thus leading to difficulties in comprehending others' viewpoints accurately [1].
- In contrast, emotional empathy can fluctuate, bringing about experiences of emotional detachment or an inability to genuinely resonate with others' feelings, a condition that may seem like emotional coldness or insincerity [1][3].
- Enhancing self-awareness and mentalization through therapies like Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT) or Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can improve the ability to understand one’s own and others’ mental states, which is essential for both cognitive and emotional empathy [4].
