2021, Number 37
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Inv Ed Med 2021; 10 (37)
Magical Thinking, Religiosity and Bioethical Decisions in Medical Students in Sonora, Mexico
Gómez-Alcalá AV, Borboa-Osuna MJ, Ornelas-Aguirre JM
Language: Spanish
References: 55
Page: 18-30
PDF size: 555.48 Kb.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Although the community tends to appreciate
doctors with religious beliefs, these may influence their
bioethical decisions and affect patient care in vulnerable
groups.
Objective: To study religious beliefs and magical thinking
among medical students, as well as their effect on solving
ethical dilemmas.
Method: Medical students in their eighth semester were
given a validated survey of magical thinking (MTS), the
DUREL survey of religiosity (RS) and a bioethical decision
questionnaire, followed by the description, correlation and
appropriate statistical inference.
Results: We studied 50 pupils, 20 to 27 years old, 26
women and 24 men; half of them answered being Catholic
and 20 (40%) to be non-religious. The MTS score (29 to
88, average 46 ± 13.5) and RS score (5 to 26, average
9.8 ± 4.9) were typical of rational, skeptical and secular
thinking and showed a significant correlation between
them both (
r = 0.37, p = 0.008); but in half of the students,
traits of magical thinking were found and in three quarters
traits of religiosity. All agreed to prescribe contraceptives
and refused to deny service to homosexuals, but the
induction of abortion or suicide assistance led to divided
decisions that enabled the creation of four bioethical profiles,
in which the MTS and RS scores differed significantly.
Conclusions: There is an association between magical
thinking and religiosity in medical students; both, in addition,
associate with a traditionalist bioethical reasoning that
enable conscientious objections in controversial treatments.
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