When Empathy Helps and Hurts: Non-Linear Associations Between Early Childhood Maltreatment History, Empathy and Self-Harm Thoughts

Sunghyun Hong, Andrew Grogan-Kaylor, Moohyun Kim, Anna E. Bender, Shaddy Saba, Chi-Lin Yu, Lisa Fedina, Todd I. Herrenkohl, School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, School of Social Work, University of Washington, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Silver School of Social Work, New York University, New York, Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University

Child Maltreatment

Published online on February 03, 2026

Abstract

Child Maltreatment, Ahead of Print.
Child maltreatment is a well-established risk factor for self-harm, yet the affective processes underlying this association remain unclear. This study examines how empathy relates to the association between early childhood maltreatment and lifetime self-...