Cognitive empathy and psychological distress in health sciences students: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Cognitive empathy, understood as the ability to adopt another person's perspective, is a key socioemotional competence in health professions education and has been associated with psychological adjustment and lower levels of psychological distress. However, evidence on how cognitive empathy and psychological distress vary across disciplines and stages of training remains limited, particularly in large multidisciplinary samples. The present study aimed to (1) analyze differences in cognitive empathy and psychological distress across Health Sciences degree programs and stages of training and (2) examine the relationship between cognitive empathy and psychological distress while controlling for relevant sociodemographic and academic variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,754 undergraduate students enrolled in Medicine, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Psychology, and Human Nutrition and Dietetics at a Spanish university. Cognitive empathy was assessed using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy–Health Professions Students, and psychological distress was measured using the Medical Student WellBeing Index. Descriptive, comparative, and multiple regression analyses were performed. Significant differences were found across degree programs, with higher cognitive empathy in Psychology and Nursing students and higher psychological distress in Medicine students. Psychological distress increased progressively across academic years and was significantly higher among students who had initiated clinical placements. Cognitive empathy did not differ significantly between preclinical and clinical stages. In the regression model, higher perspective-taking was associated with lower psychological distress, whereas onset of clinical placements emerged as the strongest predictor of distress, followed by gender and participation in volunteering activities. These findings suggest that cognitive empathy is a socioemotional characteristic associated with psychological distress and that both constructs may vary according to educational and training-related contexts. The results support the importance of considering disciplinary differences and training stages when designing strategies to promote student psychological adjustment and socioemotional competencies in Health Sciences education.