The Activation of Empathy and Suicidal Ideation on Assessments of Friendship

This study explored how empathy activation and suicidal ideation influence college students' perceptions of potential friendships, particularly with individuals experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts. Friendships are crucial for college students, who may face loneliness and depression. However, depression and suicidality can hinder friendship formation, leading to isolation.

Grounded in the Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis, the study tested whether activating empathy would increase students’ desire to form friendships with those experiencing suicidal ideation, as empathy could help them relate to others’ struggles. The study involved 119 college students who were randomly assigned to either an empathy activation or a control condition, with some participants learning about a target with or without suicidal ideation.

Contrary to expectations, empathy activation and suicidal ideation did not significantly affect

participants’ desire to form a friendship. However, participants did perceive the suicidal target as more depressed and in need of treatment, suggesting that empathy influences how depression is recognized, even if it doesn’t directly foster friendship formation.

In conclusion, while empathy did not increase the desire to befriend someone with suicidal ideation, it did affect how participants understood the person’s mental health. These findings highlight the complexities of forming friendships when mental health issues are involved and suggest that further research is needed on how empathy impacts social connections with individuals facing suicidality.