Medical student syndrome among medical and nonmedical students at Sultan Qaboos University: A comparative study of health anxiety.

BACKGROUND

Medical Student Syndrome (MSS) was assessed in medical versus nonmedical students at Sultan Qaboos University.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study conducted in Muscat, Oman, 586 students (158 medical, 428 nonmedical) were selected using convenience sampling. The research was carried out between October 2024 and March 2025. Participants completed the Medical Student Syndrome Self-Explanatory Questionnaire, which assesses hypochondria and nosophobia. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including independent samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Chi-square tests, and effect size calculations.

RESULTS

The study found no significant differences in hypochondria and nosophobia scores between medical and nonmedical students (t = -0.991, P = 0.322, d = -0.093; t = -0.695, P = 0.487, d = -0.064, respectively). This challenges the traditional assumption that medical students exhibit greater health anxiety. Female students reported significantly higher health anxiety scores than their male counterparts across both groups (U = 7060.500, Z = -3.187, P = 0.001, r = 0.16 for hypochondria; U = 5798.000, Z = -5.011, P < 0.001, r = 0.27 for nosophobia). Additionally, health anxiety increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic for both medical and nonmedical students (t = -13.405, P < 0.001, d = -0.58).

CONCLUSION

Nonmedical students demonstrated similar levels of health-related anxiety. Gender differences and external stressors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, play a significant role in shaping health anxiety. As such, tailored intervention strategies and programs to address health anxiety among both medical and nonmedical students need to be implemented by psychologists and counselors in postgraduate settings.