Wisdom and tolerance among university students and teaching staff in health-related disciplines: a descriptive cross-sectional study in Northern Cyprus

Wisdom and tolerance are vital psychosocial attributes in health professions, shaping communication, empathy, and care quality. While fundamental to ethical practice, evidence regarding these traits among diverse health-related cohorts remains limited, especially in multicultural educational settings. This study examined wisdom and tolerance levels among university students and teaching staff in health-related disciplines and investigated the relationship between these constructs across sociodemographic and educational characteristics. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Northern Cyprus (February–April 2024) with 207 volunteers from university health departments. Data were collected via the San Diego Wisdom Scale and the Tolerance Tendency Scale–Adult Form. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, group comparisons, and correlation analyses, were performed using SPSS 27.0. Ethical approval was obtained from Cyprus International University (EKK23-24/005/12). Mean scores were 91.50 ± 13.47 for wisdom and 33.56 ± 7.61 for tolerance. Wisdom scores were significantly higher among participants aged ≥ 24, teaching staff, and those enrolled in multiple departments. Similarly, tolerance scores were significantly higher among teaching staff and those associated with more than one department. A significant positive correlation was identified between wisdom and tolerance, indicating that higher wisdom is associated with greater tolerance. Wisdom and tolerance in health-related academic settings are associated with age, professional role, and interdisciplinary experience. This significant correlation suggests that incorporating humanities and ethical training into health curricula could enhance students’ professional maturity. Strengthening educational strategies that support reflective thinking and respect for differences may help develop more compassionate and professionally mature healthcare workers.