Greenberg DM, Baron-Cohen S, Rosenberg N, Fonagy P, Rentfrow PJ. PLoS ONE 13(10): e0203886. https://doi. org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203886

This British study found that despite traditional associations between trauma and later psychosocial adversity, adults who experienced a traumatic event in childhood had elevated empathy levels compared to adults who did not experience a traumatic event. Furthermore, the severity of the trauma correlated positively with various components of empathy. The authors hypothesize that people who survive childhood trauma may be able to better understand the emotional and mental states of others.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0203886&type=printable