Film-Based Medical Education and Social Justice Course: Effects on Alexithymia and Empathy in Medical Students

February 23, 2026 updated by: Mustafa Onur Yurdal, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University

Effect of a Film-Based "Medical Education and Social Justice" Elective on Medical Students' Alexithymia Levels and Empathy Skills: A Nonrandomized Controlled Pretest-Posttest Study

This study will examine whether a 14-week elective course that uses films and guided discussion on social justice in health care can improve medical students' empathy skills and reduce alexithymia (difficulty recognizing and describing emotions). Approximately 50 volunteer medical students will participate. Students who choose the elective course will form the intervention group, and students who do not take the course will form a comparison group. All participants will complete the same questionnaires/assessments at the beginning and at the end of the semester. The main goal is to compare changes in empathy and alexithymia scores between the two groups.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a prospective, nonrandomized controlled pretest-posttest study conducted at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Medicine. Participants are volunteer medical students (≥18 years). The intervention group consists of students who enroll in the elective course, and the comparison group consists of students from the same student population who do not enroll during the same period.

Data will be collected at two time points: baseline prior to the start of the elective period (T0) and immediately after the end of the elective period (T1, approximately 14 weeks later). At each time point, participants will complete the study instruments administered in a standardized manner. In the intervention group, reflective journals will also be collected throughout the course period to support qualitative interpretation of findings.

The primary analysis will compare within-group change from T0 to T1 and between-group differences in change scores. Descriptive statistics will summarize participant characteristics. Depending on data distribution, paired tests and independent-group tests (or their nonparametric equivalents) will be used for continuous outcomes. Multivariable models may be used to adjust for baseline differences (e.g., class year) if imbalance is observed. Missing data will be handled using a predefined approach (e.g., complete-case analysis with sensitivity checks). No clinical procedures or medical treatments are involved.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Çanakkale
      • Çanakkale, Çanakkale, Turkey (Türkiye), 17100
        • Faculty of medicine

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Enrolled medical student at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Medicine, registered in Year 1, 2, or 3 during the study period.
  • Age 18 years or older.
  • Provides written/electronic informed consent after being informed about the study.
  • For the intervention arm: enrolled in the elective "Film-Based Medical Education and Social Justice" course.
  • For the control arm: from the same academic year/cohort during the same period and not enrolled in the elective course.
  • Willing and able to complete both baseline (T0) and end-of-course (T1) assessments (has sufficient cognitive/communication ability to complete questionnaires).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Does not provide consent or withdraws consent at any stage.
  • Younger than 18 years.
  • Does not complete at least one of the two assessments (T0 or T1).
  • Leaves critical sections of the questionnaires/assessments largely blank (e.g., substantial missing items on TAS-20 or incomplete scenario responses preventing scoring).
  • Duplicate/duplicate submission (more than one form from the same participant for the same assessment).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Film-Based Medical Education and Social Justice Elective
Participants enrolled in the elective "Film-Based Medical Education and Social Justice" course. The course is delivered over one semester (~14 weeks) and uses selected films/film clips with structured group discussion and reflection activities.
Behavioral: Film-Based Medical Education and Social Justice Elective
A 14-week elective course (approximately 2 hours/week) using selected films/film clips with structured group discussion and reflective activities/journaling.
Other Names:
  • Film-Based Medical Education and Social Justice Course
No Intervention: No Course / Usual Curriculum
Participants who do not enroll in the elective course during the same period and continue usual curriculum without additional sessions.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) Total and Subscale Scores (Change)
Time Frame: Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Change in TAS-20 total score and subscale scores (Difficulty Identifying Feelings, Difficulty Describing Feelings, Externally Oriented Thinking). Higher scores indicate higher alexithymia.
Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Scenario-Based Empathy Skills Total Score and Rubric Subscores (Change)
Time Frame: Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Change in total empathy skills score derived from responses to study-developed scenarios scored with a rubric based on Dökmen's staged empathy classification; includes rubric subscores/levels if applicable.
Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Jefferson Scale of Empathy S(tudent)-Version
Time Frame: Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
JSE-S is a self-administered 20-item questionnaire scored on a 7-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree to 7=strongly agree). Total score is the sum of item scores (range 20-140); higher scores indicate higher empathy.
Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Association Between Change in TAS-20 and Change in Empathy Score
Time Frame: From baseline (T0) to end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Correlation/association between ΔTAS-20 (T1-T0) and ΔEmpathy (T1-T0) (Pearson or Spearman depending on distribution).
From baseline (T0) to end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Student Version (JSE-S) Subscale/Factor Scores (Change)
Time Frame: Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Change in JSE-S factor/subscale scores (e.g., Perspective Taking, Compassionate Care, Standing in Patient's Shoes; if applicable per scoring approach used). Higher scores indicate higher empathy.
Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Association Between JSE-S Score and Scenario-Based Empathy Skills Score (Convergent Validity)
Time Frame: Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)
Correlation/association between JSE-S total score and Scenario-Based Empathy Skills total score at T0 and at T1 (Pearson or Spearman depending on distribution), and/or association between change scores (ΔJSE-S vs ΔScenario score).
Baseline (T0) and end of course (T1, approximately 14 weeks)

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Reflective Journal Themes (Intervention Group Only)
Time Frame: After each session during the course period (approximately 14 weeks); analyzed after T1
De-identified reflective journals collected after sessions will be analyzed using thematic/content analysis to contextualize and deepen interpretation of quantitative findings.
After each session during the course period (approximately 14 weeks); analyzed after T1

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Chair: Mustafa Onur Yurdal, PhD, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

  • Bagby RM, Parker JD, Taylor GJ. The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale- I. J Psychosom Res. 1994;38(1):23-32. PMID: 8126686. doi: 10.1016/0022-3999(94)90005-1. Law M, Kwong W, Friesen F, Veinot P, Ng SL. The current landscape of television and movies in medical education. Perspect Med Educ. 2015;4(5):218-224. doi: 10.1007/s40037-015-0205-9. Lumlertgul N, Kijpaisalratana N, Pityaratstian N, Wangsaturaka D. Cinemeducation: A pilot student project using movies to help students learn medical professionalism. Med Teach. 2009;31(7):e327-e332. PMID: 19811142. doi: 10.1080/01421590802637941. Rueb M, Siebeck M, Rehfuess EA, Pfadenhauer LM. Cinemeducation in medicine: a mixed methods study on students' motivations and benefits. BMC Med Educ. 2022;22:172. doi: 10.1186/s12909-022-03240-x. Salajegheh M, Sohrabpour AA, Mohammadi E. Exploring medical students' perceptions of empathy after cinemeducation based on Lev Vygotsky's theory. BMC Med Educ. 2024;24:94. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-05084-z.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 16, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 20, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 3, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 25, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 23, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2025-YÖNP-0418

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data (IPD) underlying the results reported in publications (e.g., TAS-20 total/subscale scores and scenario-based empathy scores at T0 and T1) will be made available to qualified researchers upon reasonable request. Data will be shared after publication of the primary results, for up to 5 years. Requests will be reviewed by the study team and may require a data use agreement. Shared datasets will be de-identified and will not include direct identifiers; access will be limited to the minimum necessary to protect participant confidentiality.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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