Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Educational Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1503258

Exploring the Role of Teacher Empathy in Student Mental Health Outcomes: A Comparative SEM Approach to Understanding the Complexities of Emotional Support in Educational Settings

Provisionally accepted
Joshua Ampofo Joshua Ampofo 1*Geoffrey Bentum-Micah Geoffrey Bentum-Micah 1Qian Xusheng Qian Xusheng 1Binghai Sun Binghai Sun 1Rita Mensah Asumang Rita Mensah Asumang 2
  • 1 Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
  • 2 Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study investigates the role of teacher empathy in influencing student mental health outcomes through a comparative Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. Given the rising prevalence of mental health challenges among students, understanding the impact of empathetic teacher-student relationships is crucial.Utilising a sample of 300 students from diverse educational settings, the research examines how teacher empathy affects student engagement and mental health. Findings reveal that higher levels of perceived teacher empathy correlate with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression while enhancing student engagement in learning activities. Furthermore, student engagement mediates the relationship between teacher empathy and mental health outcomes. The results underscore the necessity of fostering empathetic relationships within educational contexts to promote student resilience and well-being. Implications for teacher training programs and academic practices are discussed, emphasizing the importance of empathy in creating supportive learning environments that enhance student mental health and engagement.

    Keywords: Teacher empathy, Student Mental Health Outcomes, Emotional support, student engagement, structural equation modeling (SEM)

    Received: 28 Sep 2024; Accepted: 14 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Ampofo, Bentum-Micah, Xusheng, Sun and Mensah Asumang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Joshua Ampofo, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.