Kwadwo Sarpong1, Micheal Abimbola Oladosu2✉, Moses Adondua Abah3, Anyiku James Nii Amar4 and Bukola Oluwaseyi Olufosoye5
1Department of Communication, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, New Mexico, USA.
2Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Anchor University, Lagos, Nigeria.
3Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Federal University of Wukari, Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria
4Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health Science, Garden City University, Ghana
5Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences.
Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria
(✉) Corresponding Author
Received: Apr 28, 2026/ Revised: May 28 2026/Accepted: June 2, 2026
Highlights
- Reviews the relationships among empathy, mental well-being, and patient trust in healthcare.
- Examines psychological mechanisms influencing patient-provider communication outcomes.
- Highlights the impact of empathic communication on trust, adherence, and patient satisfaction.
- Explores how provider burnout and mental well-being affect quality of care.
- Discusses opportunities and challenges of telemedicine and AI in maintaining empathetic healthcare interactions.
Abstract
Patient-provider communication represents a cornerstone of effective healthcare delivery, with empathy, mental well-being, and patient trust forming interconnected psychological dimensions that significantly influence health outcomes. Contemporary healthcare systems increasingly recognize the imperative role of psychosocial factors in therapeutic relationships. This review synthesizes current literature examining the psychological mechanisms linking empathic communication, mental well-being, and patient trust within patient-provider interactions, with emphasis on evidence from 2020-2025. A narrative review of peer-reviewed literature published between 2020-2025 was conducted, focusing on empirical studies, systematic reviews, and theoretical frameworks addressing empathy, mental well-being, and trust in healthcare communication contexts. Evidence demonstrates that empathic communication significantly enhances patient trust, treatment adherence, and health outcomes. Provider mental well-being directly impacts empathic capacity, with burnout and compassion fatigue representing significant barriers. Technological innovations, including telemedicine and artificial intelligence, present both opportunities and challenges for maintaining empathic patient-provider relationships. Cultural competence and individualized communication strategies emerge as critical facilitators of trust-building across diverse patient populations. Integrating empathy-focused training, mental health support for providers, and patient-centered communication frameworks represents an essential strategy for optimizing healthcare delivery. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies examining causative mechanisms and intervention efficacy across diverse healthcare settings.
Keywords: Empathy, Patient trust, Mental well-being, Health communication, Patient-provider interaction, Healthcare delivery
How to cite this article
Sarpong, K., Oladosu, M. A., Adondua Abah, M., Amar, A. J. N., & Olufosoye, B. O. (2026). Empathy, mental well-being and patient trust in contemporary health communication: A psychological review of patient-provider interactions. Science Archives, 7(2), 105–113. https://doi.org/10.47587/SA.2026.7209
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License













