Neurophobia in health profession students and practitioners: a systematic review and synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM)

BACKGROUND: Neurophobia, defined as the fear of or aversion to neurology and neuroscience, is a challenge across health sciences and may contribute to workforce shortages. Previous reviews have exclusively focused on medical populations and have not systematically addressed measurement variability or the effects of educational interventions. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review builds on previous studies by analyzing neurophobia across the health sciences, focusing on prevalence rates, measurement instruments, associated factors, and the effects of educational interventions. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Eligible studies explicitly measured neurophobia and provided details of the measurement tool used. A structured narrative synthesis was performed following synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) principles and methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. RESULTS: 21 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. These were conducted across diverse countries, and predominantly involved medical students and physicians in training, with dental and veterinary students also represented. Measurement instruments showed substantial heterogeneity and were classified into four domains: affective response, cognitive appraisal, capability beliefs, and motivational consequences. Prevalence rates ranged from 19% to 66%. Higher interest and greater clinical exposure were associated with lower neurophobia, whereas gender and academic progression showed inconsistent associations. Evidence on educational interventions was limited and heterogeneous, although clinical or applied approaches suggested reductions in neurophobia. CONCLUSION: Overall, findings highlight variability in prevalence and measurement approaches. Associations with clinical exposure and reductions following clinically or applied educational interventions suggest that neurophobia might be less strongly associated with neurosciences' intrinsic complexity and more strongly associated with modifiable educational factors.