Psychological Fears and Their Association with Closed Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

This study aims to analyze the psychological fears associated with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), given their direct impact on patient experience, medical image quality, and examination compliance rates. The research adopted a descriptive-analytical approach, involving a review of relevant literature and the distribution of a questionnaire to a simple random sample of 50 individuals in Tripoli, Libya, in December 2023. The results showed that the percentage of male participants was 60% (30 individuals), while the percentage of females was 40% (20 individuals). The most represented age group was 55-65 years, accounting for 26%. It was also found that the most common educational qualification was university education at 40%, and 90% of the sample members had previously undergone an MRI scan. Furthermore, 70% of participants indicated feeling fear during the examination, with the most common symptom being fear of harm (50%), followed by fear of dark places (40%). Some fears were also linked to childhood experiences, such as being trapped in a malfunctioning elevator (60%). The overall satisfaction rate with the examination experience reached 64%, while 44% of participants recommended using open MRI machines instead of closed ones to improve the experience. These results confirm that addressing the psychological fears associated with MRI is a fundamental step toward improving the quality of medical examinations, enhancing patient satisfaction, and increasing compliance rates, which positively reflects on the quality of healthcare.