From empathy to action: exploring emotional mechanisms of online public opinion in a public health crisis

These findings suggest that digital empathy in public health crises operates as a complex, multi-layered emotional-behavioral mechanism. Different empathy types not only influence the emotional tone of online discussions but also affect the level of engagement and the type of actions that users take. This study highlights the critical role of empathy in shaping online behaviors during health-related crises and provides valuable insights into how platforms can manage emotional engagement to encourage constructive participation.