Polarized Minds: Exploring the Link between Ideological Consistency and Personal Well-Being among Medical Students

Background Political polarization refers to the phenomenon of people moving away from the center and leaning towards extreme political ideologies. In recent years, there has been a discernible escalation of political polarization, which has significant implications for public health,. Studies have shown that heightened political animosity can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and a decline in mental well-being. Methods This research investigates whether these experiences impact people's well-being across the ideological spectrum. With a cross-sectional research design, the study recruited 1023 undergraduate medical students aged 18–27 years, from Chennai, Tamil Nadu using census sampling. The study parameters were measured using self-report questionnaires: the Ideology Consistency Scale (ICS) and the Personality Well-Being Index - Adult − 5 (PWI-A). Results & Discussion The results revealed a significant negative correlation between ideological consistency and personal well-being (ρ = – 0.453, p = 0.006). This indicates that individuals with stronger ideological alignment are likely to experience lower subjective well- being. Furthermore, personal well-being differed significantly based on sexual orientation ( χ² (2) = 9.73, p  = 0.008) and locality ( χ² (2) = 18.78, p  < 0.001). Families with political affiliations were significantly associated with lower personal well-being compared to those without ( U  = 9819, p  = 0.002), but no significant difference was observed in ideological consistency rural background, and sexual orientation. Conclusion Political polarization has a significant association with personal well-being. Promoting cognitive openness and balanced political discourse may help mitigate the mental health consequences of polarization.