Medical Student Syndrome and Health Anxiety Among Medical and Non-Medical Students: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study at Misurata University

Abstract

Background: “Medical student syndrome” (MSS) describes the tendency of medical trainees to perceive in themselves the symptoms of the diseases they study; whether it reflects benign cognitive awareness or pathological health anxiety remains debated. This study aimed to compare disease perception, disease distress, health anxiety, health concern, self-rated health and physician consultations between medical and law students at Misurata University, Libya. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2023 and March 2024 using convenience sampling and an online questionnaire (N = 348; 224 medical and 124 law students). The validated Arabic questionnaire comprised the Medical Students’ Disease Perception (MSD-Perception) and Distress (MSD-Distress) scales, the Whiteley Index, the Health Concern Scale (HCS), a 1–10 self-rated health score and 12-month physician consultations. Data were analysed with Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis H tests and multivariable ordinary least squares (OLS) regression adjusted for age, sex and economic status. Results: Medical students had higher MSD-Perception scores than law students (12.65 ± 4.42 vs. 11.39 ± 4.01; U = 12,082.5, p = 0.029; Cohen’s d = 0.29), and medical enrolment remained an independent predictor after adjustment (β = 1.12, 95% CI 0.15–2.09, p = 0.024). No significant differences were found in MSD-Distress, Whiteley Index, HCS, self-rated health or physician visits. Clinical-stage medical students reported higher HCS (39.92 ± 14.70 vs. 35.68 ± 14.76; p = 0.047) and self-rated health (7.57 ± 1.84 vs. 6.96 ± 2.13; p = 0.040) scores than pre-clinical students. Conclusions: Medical students show heightened cognitive perception of disease symptoms without increased emotional distress, health anxiety or healthcare use. In this setting, MSS appears to be a benign educational adaptation rather than a pathological hypochondriacal disorder.