Neurophobia in context: Demographic and mental health correlates

Neurophobia remains a barrier to medical students' commitment to neurology. Several causes, especially poor teaching, have been proposed, but correlations with student-related factors such as anxiety, depression or burnout have not been formally documented in a large student cohort. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the association between neurophobia and demographic and mental health variables in a large cohort of medical students.

Data were obtained from the ETMED-L project, an observational cohort study investigating empathy, mental health and academic performance in medical students. Neurophobia was assessed using the NeuroQ scale. Stress, anxiety, depression and burnout were measured with validated instruments. Univariable and multivariable linear regression models, adjusted for age and gender, were used to identify correlates of neurophobia.

Among 1066 students, 264 (24.8%) met the neurophobia threshold (NeuroQ ≥16/25). Neurophobia was more prevalent among female students and was associated with higher anxiety, depression and burnout in the univariable analysis. Only academic efficacy and emotional exhaustion, two dimensions of burnout, as well as gender remained significant in multivariable analysis. Students considering neurology as a specialty did not display higher burnout rates than their counterparts.

This study demonstrates that neurophobia is associated with mental health variables and that specific burnout dimensions, low academic efficacy and emotional exhaustion, appear to be more proximal correlates than anxiety or depressive symptoms. Addressing student well-being and fostering a sense of academic competence may therefore warrant consideration as targets for intervention aimed at mitigating neurophobia and potentially enhancing engagement in neurology.