OCCURRENCE AND DETERMINANTS OF MSS AMONG HEALTH CARE STUDENTS IN JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA

Background: Health anxiety and medically unexplained somatic distress(MSD)are common among medical students and may vary by demographic, academic, and psychosocial factors. This study examined the relationships between health anxiety, MSD, and academic performance across different stages of medical training.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 403 medical students using the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI-18) and standardized MSD measures. Associations with demographic variables, academic year, and grade point average (GPA) were analyzed using comparative statistics and Pearson correlation.

Results: Health anxiety and MSD perception and distress were highest in early academic years and declined significantly with progression through medical training. Female sex, marital status, academic year, and lower academic performance were associated with higher health anxiety, although effect sizes were small. GPA showed very weak negative correlations with SHAI-18 (r = 0.017) and MSD scores (r = 0.158), indicating limited practical relevance. In contrast, SHAI-18 and MSD scores demonstrated a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.330, p < 0.001), suggesting a meaningful association between illness-related anxiety and somatic distress.

Conclusion: Health anxiety and MSD symptoms are most pronounced in early years and decline with advancing training, while the strong link between health anxiety and MSD highlights the need for targeted psychological interventions. Early, curriculum-integrated mental health support is recommended to mitigate illness anxiety and somatic distress during medical education.