146. Effects of integrating behavioral psychology and social psychology into medical education on mental health management

Abstract Background The global burden of mental disorders continues to grow, affecting approximately one billion people worldwide. Traditional medical education largely emphasizes the biomedical model and often overlooks psychosocial and behavioral factors, leaving clinicians underprepared for comprehensive mental health care. The emerging biopsychosocial approach highlights the interplay of biological, psychological, and social influences in disease development, offering new perspectives for mental health management. Integrating behavioral and social psychology into medical education may cultivate clinicians with broader assessment and intervention skills. However, few studies have explored how to effectively embed these disciplines into medical curricula. This study aims to evaluate the impact of such educational reforms on medical students’ mental health management abilities and their subsequent influence on patient care outcomes. Methods The study uses a multicenter prospective controlled design with 360 clinical medical students from five medical schools, randomly assigned to a reform group (n = 180) or traditional group (n = 180). The reform group receives a one-year curriculum including behavioral psychology (cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness) and social psychology (cultural sensitivity, family system assessment, community support), plus integrated clinical rotations in psychiatry, counseling, and community health centers. The traditional group receives standard psychiatry courses and clinical observations. After the course, humanistic care is assessed via the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, mental health management skills are evaluated, and diagnostic accuracy for anxiety and depression is measured. Clinical outcomes of 300 patients managed by the students are tracked during the first year after graduation. Results The reform group scored higher on the empathy scale than the traditional group at the end of the curriculum (118.6 ± 12.3 vs 98.7 ± 15.8, p<.001, d = 1.38), indicating stronger humanistic care. The mental health management assessment showed that reform group students scored higher in psychological assessment, communication skills, crisis intervention, and multidisciplinary collaboration (p<.001, d = 0.82–1.25). In the anxiety and depression identification test, the reform group had higher diagnostic sensitivity (87.3%) and specificity (91.2%) than the traditional group (72.5% and 79.8%, p=.002). Clinical follow-up showed that symptom remission at six months was higher among patients managed by the reform group (68.4%) compared with the traditional group (52.1%, p<.001, d = 0.71). Physician–patient relationship quality was also better in the reform group, with patient satisfaction reaching 89.6%, compared with 73.2% in the traditional group (p<.001). Subgroup analysis showed that the educational reform had especially strong effects on the management of anxiety and depressive disorders. Discussion The study confirmed that integrating behavioral psychology and social psychology into medical education significantly improved students’ mental health management abilities and enhanced treatment outcomes and quality of life among their patients. Behavioral psychology training helped clinicians identify and adjust maladaptive behavioral patterns, which supported healthier coping strategies. Social psychology content strengthened clinicians’ understanding of social support systems and cultural backgrounds and improved individualized treatment planning. This educational model addressed gaps in traditional medical curricula and provided essential psychological intervention skills for both general practitioners and specialists. It also enhanced treatment adherence and long-term outcomes through better communication and greater patient engagement. Future research should develop standardized curricula and assessment systems for broader implementation and explore the use of online education and virtual reality in behavioral and social psychology training. Funding No. NMUB20240271.