Empathy, impulsiveness and tendency to risk behavior in medical university students

Introduction Empathy is defined as the ability to perceive and understand the emotions and thoughts of others, and to respond with compassion. Empathy are essential in effective clinical communication. Aim Evaluation of the level of impulsivity, risk-taking behavior and empathy among students from various fields of medical faculties. Material and methods This was anonymous cross-sectional study. The study group consisted of 384 students (344 females and 40 males). The own proprietary structured questionnaire was used for evaluation socio-demographic data. The Polish version of the impulsivity questionnaire (IVE) was used for evaluation three dimensions: impulsivity, risk-taking and empathy. The non-parametric tests were used in statistic analysis. Results and discussion In study group the results on IVE questionnaire were within normal range. The highest score was observed in the empathy dimension, followed by risk-taking behavior and impulsivity. No significant differences between females and males were found. Factor analysis shows that impulsivity and risk-taking are separate dimensions associated with different explanatory patomechanisms, however empathy depends, to some extent, on both. Empathy showed a strong positive correlation with impulsivity, and negative with the risk-taking dimension. The highest level of empathy presented midwifery and medical-dentists students, while lowest level presents nursing students. Conclusions Empathy in medical students may be defined by impulsivity and risk taking behavior. The higher level of empathy presented students of midwifery and the lowest level showed nursing students. This may suggest the significance of incorporating empathy training into medical education, tailored to the specific demands of the study field.