Dualistic Thinking and Beliefs About the Treatability of Mental Illnesses Among Medical Students: Development and Validation of a New Questionnaire

Background: Dualistic thinking, the belief that mind and body are two separate entities, has long been assumed to influence how future physicians perceive the treatability of mental disorders and to contribute to stigma against people with mental health conditions. Despite its potential relevance for medical education, there is limited empirical evidence to substantiate this assumption Objective: We investigated the prevalence of dualistic thinking among medical students and examine its associations with beliefs about the treatability of schizophrenia, depression, and alcohol dependence. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with N = 203 medical students at a large European medical school. Participants completed a newly developed 15-item Dualism Questionnaire. Principal Component Analysis identified underlying dimensions, and correlations with treatability beliefs were calculated. Results: The PCA revealed three distinct components: Dualistic Independence, Biological Determinism, and Mental Predictability. Dualistic beliefs were prevalent, particularly Biological Determinism. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, certain dualistic perspectives were positively associated with treatability beliefs for schizophrenia and depression. We found no association for alcohol dependence Conclusions: Dualistic beliefs are widespread among medical students but do not necessarily reduce optimism about treatment efficacy. The results challenge common assumptions and highlight the need to address dualism in curricula. Integrating discussions on mind–body concepts into psychiatric and neuroscience teaching may help students critically reflect on their beliefs, potentially improving communication with patients