Children who were more empathic and strongly felt others’ suffering as toddlers and then as preteens were more likely to experience anxiety and depression symptoms during the Israel-Hamas War that followed the October 7 attack. This surprising fact was discovered by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI).
This vulnerability materialized under conditions of mass trauma – empathy was not linked to distress in regular times. The findings of the decade-long study reveal that while empathy is often celebrated as a protective trait, it can also heighten susceptibility to psychological harm in the face of widespread conflict and violence.
As the world marks two years since the October 7 massacre, the study sheds light on how even the most human of traits, such as empathy, can become a source of vulnerability during war. The research was conducted by HUJI doctoral student Dana Katsoty together with developmental psychologist and behavior geneticist Prof. Ariel Knafo-Noam in the psychology department, and developmental neuroscientist Dr. Lior Abramson of Tel Aviv University (TAU) and Columbia University in New York.
Understanding the feelings of others
Empathy – the ability to understand and share the feelings of others – is vital for social relationships and kindness and is usually linked with positive psychological outcomes. But its role may become more complex in the context of mass trauma like exposure to war and terror.
Elevated emotional connection among people who have suffered in which one person’s emotions are felt and understood by another without explicit explanation could increase vulnerability to personal distress. This issue is particularly relevant for children and adolescents, whose emotion regulation capacities are still developing, making them more susceptible to the psychological impacts of traumatic events.
THEIR STUDY, titled “Empathy as a risk factor for internalizing symptoms during war: A 10-year prospective study from toddlerhood to adolescence,” was published in the journal Development and Psychopathology. The role of early empathy as a prospective risk factor has been under-researched, and this study is among the first to use adolescents’ own self-reports to capture the mental health toll of October 7 and its aftermath, offering a rare longitudinal perspective.
They followed children from toddlerhood through adolescence to explore how early empathy shapes later mental health and found that children who showed greater emotional resonance with others’ suffering – long considered a strength – were more likely to experience anxiety and depression symptoms during the Gaza war.
In Jerusalem, where most of the sample was based, there were 13 alarms during the first two months of the war, so the participants often witnessed stress in their parents, siblings and friends, while seeking shelter. They were also affected by the mass suffering and destruction in both the southern and northern border communities and intense accounts of suffering through the media, testimonies, and stories of victims and their families.
“Prof. Knafo-Noam launched the study more than a decade ago, and I joined. Although Jerusalem suffered fewer ballistic missile and drone attacks than in other parts of the country, there were plenty of sirens even in the capital,” Katsoty noted in an interview with The Jerusalem Post. “Youngsters may have not been affected directly, but empathy is involved in exposure to other people’s suffering.”
Empathy is “one of the most beautiful qualities we hope to nurture in our children, but it’s a double-edged sword – not only an attribute with positive results,” she said. “Our study shows that in times of mass trauma – with ongoing exposure to others’ suffering – it can come at a cost. Recognizing this dual role of empathy can help us better support young people growing up under the shadow of conflict.”
The team did not examine ultra-Orthodox (haredi) children and youths compared to Modern Orthodox and secular youths whose parents were more likely to serve in the reserves and to be exposed much more to the media, Katsoty said. “But we’d like to continue our study with more categories. It is also important to note that additional work we are conducting with adults has replicated the association between empathy and distress levels in broader and more representative samples.”
EMPATHY MEASURED at ages one-and-a-half years, three years, and age 11 did not predict distress in normal times – but under the trauma of war, those early markers of empathy were linked to heightened depression and anxiety symptoms.
In Jerusalem – which was less affected by missile and drone attacks – 31% of adolescents exceeded the clinical cutoff for anxiety and 23% for depression during the current war. The team stressed that this does not constitute a clinical diagnosis, but it does reflect considerable symptom levels.
“These results challenge[N1] the common assumption that empathy always protects children in the face of adversity,” said Knafo-Noam. “Our findings suggest that while empathy helps us connect with others, it can also indicate which youth are more vulnerable when surrounded by mass trauma, which can help in identification of children at heightened risk.”
According to Abramson, “The research adds nuance to our understanding of developmental risk. It supports what psychologists call a diathesis-stress model: that vulnerabilities often lie dormant until triggered by extreme conditions. The study also underscores the urgent need for targeted mental health interventions for youth living through ongoing conflict, especially those who may seem most emotionally attuned.”
The finding that it was specifically empathy that predicted anxiety and depression symptoms, not general negative emotionality, makes a lot of sense. Children at that time were exposed to major suffering of others through the media, conversations at home and at school, and through other sources. Children who are more sensitive to others’ emotions may take in those experiences to a greater extent and be affected by them in a way that may harm their emotional well-being.,” she said.
So, what can a parent do to relieve the negative effects of empathy? “They must show awareness that children could be hurt, giving them attention and talking about how they feel,” Katsoty said. “Parents want them to be empathetic, which is a very important social ability, and contributes to pro-social behavior and social relationships – but in some cases, it might come with a cost.
“It’s important parents have open conversations with their children about how they experience this difficult situation, and help them regulate any distress that may arise.”