Predicting the Level of Empathy with Patients in Medical Students and Residents Based on Interest in Art

Abstract

Background: Empathy is one of the main principles of the doctor-patient relationship and, according to literature and studies, it decreases during medical education. In this regard, the study was conducted with the aim of predicting the level of empathy with patients in medical students and residents based on interest in art. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 369 medical students and residents participated voluntarily. The data collection tools included a demographic characteristics questionnaire, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE), and a measure of the level of interest in art. The data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney tests, Spearman correlation, and linear regression. Findings: The mean age of the participants was 24.89 ± 3.34 years. The empathy score in women (45.23) was significantly higher than that in men (35.08) (P < 0.001). The findings showed a positive and significant correlation between interest in art and empathy score (r = 0.742, P < 0.01). Also, with increasing age and educational level, the level of empathy showed a significant decrease (P < 0.01). Regression analysis confirmed that interest in art has the ability to predict 49.3 of the variance in empathy scores. Conclusion: According to the findings, interest in art was directly related to the level of empathy of medical students and can moderate the negative effects of educational pressures on empathy. Considering artistic activities in the curriculum and educational programs of students can be useful to modulate the morale and empathy of students. © 2026, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.