Motivation

Helping students develop a strong sense of empathy is beneficial because it helps them to build a sense of security and stronger relationships with other students and teachers. It promotes social harmony and reduces the likelihood of bullying all of which positions them well for learning. Many frameworks, approaches and interventions for promoting and protecting the mental health of adolescents have been proposed, and their effectiveness was reviewed in a report commissioned by the WHO Regional Office for Europe. Over 300 research articles were found in a search of the literature on interventions in schools and communities and digital interventions, and especially there is strong evidence that high-quality preschool programmes to develop children’s social and emotional skills can have positive, enduring benefits for their development, including their emotional and social well-being, cognitive skills, readiness for school and academic achievement, especially for those who are the most vulnerable.

A substantial body of evidence further more indicates that effective implementation of interventions to teach social and emotional skills at school has a significant positive effect on those skills, on students’ attitudes to themselves, others and school, on the commitment of children from a diverse range of backgrounds to school and on their academic performance. Empathetic behavior also benefits students later in life. They are better at dealing with conflict and have more satisfying relationships. They have lower levels of stress and higher levels of overall happiness. Empathetic adults have greater success personally and professionally. In Denmark, for example, the health system is characterized by busy weekdays, making it difficult for doctors to have sufficient focus on showing empathy towards patients. International research shows that education in itself is not enough. Therefore, empathy is put on the school schedule, where “Man First” has become a compulsory part of education. This is to ensure that the future doctors can meet the patients with an understanding of their situation and thereby be able to better see the person behind the diagnosis.