Empathy: Behavioral Dynamics During the Global Stress of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Russia

Objective of the study: analysis of the dynamics of empathic behavior, measured using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, in Russia during three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of the relationships between empathy, anxiety and aggression during the pandemic. Research of human behavior during a pandemic contributes to understanding the best ways to adapt to global stress. Empathy can have both positive (development of mutual assistance and cooperation during COVID-19) and negative consequences (risk factor for depression and increased anxiety) for mental health. The study examined the dynamics of empathy during three waves of the pandemic in Russia, as well as the relationship between empathy, anxiety and aggression. The presence and nature of relationships were tested through multivariate analysis of covariance and regression analysis. The total sample was 7,174 people and was collected among students from several regions of Russia. Russian-language versions of questionnaires for empathy by Interpersonal Reactivity Index, for aggressive behavior by Buss-Perry, and for anxiety Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). A large sample from different regions of Russia during three waves of the COVID -19 pandemic shows the dynamics of empathic behavior: the minimum level of empathy was observed during the first wave, then reached its maximum by the second phase, and began to decline by the third. Significant positive correlations of all empathy scales with anxiety were also found - more empathic people had higher selfratings of stress. Associations with aggression are more complex depending on the empathy scale and the aggression scale. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been an increase in empathy followed by a decrease. There is a relationship between empathy scales, anxiety levels and aggression scales.