Exploratory study of nocebo effect in senior medical students

# Background Νocebo Effect is known to induce adverse symptoms after negative expectations which can be manifested on a physical and psychological level. As 6th year medical students often face a wide range of clinical challenges and may be prone to negative expectations or beliefs affecting their...

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Main Authors: Charalampos Pischos, Antonios Politis, Petros Sfikakis, Charalampos Papageorgiou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Open Medical Publishing 2024-05-01
Series:Health Psychology Research
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.52965/001c.117645
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author Charalampos Pischos
Antonios Politis
Petros Sfikakis
Charalampos Papageorgiou
author_facet Charalampos Pischos
Antonios Politis
Petros Sfikakis
Charalampos Papageorgiou
author_sort Charalampos Pischos
collection DOAJ
description # Background Νocebo Effect is known to induce adverse symptoms after negative expectations which can be manifested on a physical and psychological level. As 6th year medical students often face a wide range of clinical challenges and may be prone to negative expectations or beliefs affecting their pre-clinical and clinical success, we want to investigate how they are affected by the Nocebo Effect. # Objective To investigate whether a nocebo effect can be induced when exposing final-year students to the clinical context of their training. # Methods We used verbal suggestions as a nocebo mechanism and by using three tools, the Illness Attitude Scales, the Symptom Checklist-90, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, we examined the difference in scores on measures of psychometric parameters in 33 participants who were on their 6th year medical and attended three clinics for the first time during their education. The administrations were given before and after attending each clinic, and negative verbal suggestions were given prior to the first administration. We also measured whether the overall number of clinics, had an effect on psychometric parameters. # Results The results revealed a significant increase in second administration overall in the three clinics in specific psychometric parameters but no statistically significant difference was observed after attending consecutive clinics. # Conclusion Students reported the occurrence of adverse symptoms in the investigated psychometric parameters, which should be noted in order to avoid potential educational clinical failure.
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issn 2420-8124
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publisher Open Medical Publishing
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series Health Psychology Research
spelling doaj-art-4b3742d3adc64d33b265bfc26effb8092025-02-11T20:30:37ZengOpen Medical PublishingHealth Psychology Research2420-81242024-05-0112Exploratory study of nocebo effect in senior medical studentsCharalampos PischosAntonios PolitisPetros SfikakisCharalampos Papageorgiou# Background Νocebo Effect is known to induce adverse symptoms after negative expectations which can be manifested on a physical and psychological level. As 6th year medical students often face a wide range of clinical challenges and may be prone to negative expectations or beliefs affecting their pre-clinical and clinical success, we want to investigate how they are affected by the Nocebo Effect. # Objective To investigate whether a nocebo effect can be induced when exposing final-year students to the clinical context of their training. # Methods We used verbal suggestions as a nocebo mechanism and by using three tools, the Illness Attitude Scales, the Symptom Checklist-90, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, we examined the difference in scores on measures of psychometric parameters in 33 participants who were on their 6th year medical and attended three clinics for the first time during their education. The administrations were given before and after attending each clinic, and negative verbal suggestions were given prior to the first administration. We also measured whether the overall number of clinics, had an effect on psychometric parameters. # Results The results revealed a significant increase in second administration overall in the three clinics in specific psychometric parameters but no statistically significant difference was observed after attending consecutive clinics. # Conclusion Students reported the occurrence of adverse symptoms in the investigated psychometric parameters, which should be noted in order to avoid potential educational clinical failure.https://doi.org/10.52965/001c.117645
spellingShingle Charalampos Pischos
Antonios Politis
Petros Sfikakis
Charalampos Papageorgiou
Exploratory study of nocebo effect in senior medical students
Health Psychology Research
title Exploratory study of nocebo effect in senior medical students
title_full Exploratory study of nocebo effect in senior medical students
title_fullStr Exploratory study of nocebo effect in senior medical students
title_full_unstemmed Exploratory study of nocebo effect in senior medical students
title_short Exploratory study of nocebo effect in senior medical students
title_sort exploratory study of nocebo effect in senior medical students
url https://doi.org/10.52965/001c.117645
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AT antoniospolitis exploratorystudyofnoceboeffectinseniormedicalstudents
AT petrossfikakis exploratorystudyofnoceboeffectinseniormedicalstudents
AT charalampospapageorgiou exploratorystudyofnoceboeffectinseniormedicalstudents