Background: Incidences of cancer are increasing at an unprecedented rate in Saudi Arabia, making it a major public health concern. Cancer patients are faced with physical, psychological, social, and economic challenges, all of which can impact quality of life (QoL).Objectives: This study aims to explore the sociodemographic, psychological, clinical, cultural, and personal factors that could affect the overall QoL of cancer patients.Methods: A total of 276 cancer patients who attended the King Saud University Medical City's oncology outpatient clinics between January 2018 to December 2019 were included. QoL was assessed with the Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30. Psychosocial factors were assessed with several validated scales.Results: QoL was poorer among patients who were female (p = 0.001), have visited a psychiatrist (p = 0.028); were taking psychiatric medications (p = 0.022); and had experienced anxiety (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.001), and distress (p < 0.001). The most used method to self-treat was Islamic Ruqya (spiritual healing; 48.6%), and the most often perceived cause for developing cancer was evil eye or magic (28.6%). Good QoL outcomes were associated with biological treatment (p = 0.034) and satisfaction with health care (p = 0.001). A regression analysis showed that female sex, depression, and dissatisfaction with health care were independently associated with poor QoL.Conclusions: This study demonstrates that several factors could influence cancer patients' QoL. For instance, female sex, depression, and dissatisfaction with health care were all predictors of poor QoL. Our findings support the need for more programs and interventions to improve the social services for cancer patients, along with the need to explore the social difficulties oncology patients face and address such obstacles through improving social services by expanding the scope of social workers' contribution. Larger multicenter longitudinal studies are warranted to examine the generalizability of the results.

Burnout in healthcare workers (HCWs) is defined as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion that results from unmanaged, excessive, and long-term workplace stressors. This study aims to assess the prevalence of burnout and the levels of anxiety and depression among HCWs who primarily work with children who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted utilizing the Arabic version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS), Patient Health Questionnaire for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire for Depression (PHQ-9). Among the 381 participants working in autism centers, the majority were young Saudi females (326) working full-time as specialists in the private sector with less than five years of experience. The HCWs’ overall mean scores on the three Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) subscales: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA) were 62%, 23.7%, and 76.5%, respectively. A total of 51.4% of HCWs reported moderate to high anxiety levels on GAD-7, and 47.8% showed moderate to very high levels of depression on PHQ-9. The mean perceived EE converged significantly but negatively on their overall mean perceived satisfaction with AWS (p-value < 0.001), demonstrating that greater emotional fatigue predicts less satisfaction with their work. The PA scores correlated significantly and positively with their overall mean satisfaction with their AWS score (p-value < 0.001). Considering sociodemographic variables, HCWs aged between 20–29 years have significantly lower mean PA scores than HCWs aged thirty and older (p = 0.007). Also, male HCWs perceived significantly higher work-related DP than females. More research is required to determine the nature of variables that contribute to burnout, depression, and anxiety in HCWs helping children with ASD.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of alexithymia and its associated factors among medical students at King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at KSU, including 420 medical students from all years of medical college (i.e., first to the fifth year), by using an electronic questionnaire distributed during August 2021. The questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic-related questions and the 20-item Toronto alexithymia scale (a validated scale in the literature). Results: The prevalence of alexithymia among the participants was found to be 26.9%. A statistically significant association between alexithymia and gender (p=0.013) was found. A diagnosis with any psychiatric condition (p=0.026), history of abuse during childhood (p=0.006), and lack of physical activity were associated with alexithymia. Conclusion: The prevalence of alexithymia among medical students at KSU was significantly higher than general population in literatures. It was indicated in the results that being female, having a psychiatric condition or history of childhood abuse, and lack of physical activity were all associated with alexithymia. We recommend increasing awareness of and screening for alexithymia and its associated factors among medical students.

Misophonia, a neurobehavioral syndrome, reduces tolerance to specific stimuli and impacts various domains of life. It is also strongly correlated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of misophonia among medical students at King Saud University (KSU), Saudi Arabia, identify related sociodemographic factors, and assess misophonia association with OCD and depression. This cross-sectional study included 371 participants. The study tool was distributed electronically between November 19 and December 07, 2023. It consisted of 4 sections: a questionnaire developed by the research team, the Amsterdam Misophonia Scale (A-MISO-S), the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The results indicated that 42.32% of the participants had previously experienced misophonia, with symptoms developing suddenly in 28.66%. The majority of participants had subclinical misophonia (71.16%) and minimal depression (37.47%), with a significant proportion experiencing mild-to-severe misophonia (28.84%) and varying degrees of depression (33.15%). Approximately 31.00% of the students exhibited likely OCD. The PHQ-9 and A-MISO-S scores showed weak positive correlations, whereas the OCI-R and A-MISO-S scores showed a moderate positive correlation. Furthermore, a moderate positive correlation was observed between the OCI-R and PHQ-9 scores. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that sex, family history of misophonia, depression severity, and OCD were significantly associated with clinical misophonia. This study underscores the significance of recognizing misophonia among medical students and its associated factors, such as OCD and depression. Further multicenter studies using more rigorous research methodologies are warranted.

Compassion fatigue (CF) poses significant challenges to healthcare workers’ (HCWs) well-being. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of CF and identify its predictive factors among HCWs in all regions of Saudi Arabia (SA). As such, all HCWs from different disciplines in different centers were allowed to participate, resulting in 678 participants. The study tool, distributed between October 2022 and January 2023, consisted of a questionnaire created by the authors based on the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL). The ProQOL measures the positive (compassion satisfaction [CS]) and negative (CF) effects of helping those who have suffered, noting that burnout (BO) and secondary traumatic stress (STS) are the two subscales that constitute CF. Our findings revealed that 63.9% of HCWs experienced average STS, while 57.2% reported average BO levels. HCWs in the southern and northern regions exhibited higher STS (p-value = 0.003 and 0.010, respectively). Physicians displayed higher BO levels (p-value = 0.024). Higher levels of CS were found among older HCWs (p-value = 0.001) and lower levels among those with more years of experience (p-value = 0.004). Support at work and job, life, and financial income satisfaction were significantly and positively correlated with CS and negatively correlated with BO and STS. These findings highlight the need for tailored awareness campaigns targeting HCWs, particularly physicians, to promote well-being, enhance coping skills, and foster problem-solving techniques. Keywords: burnout; compassion fatigue; compassion satisfaction; healthcare workers; professional quality of life; Saudi Arabia; secondary traumatic stress; medical trainees’ well-being.

Compassion fatigue is a set of emotions and behaviors that occur as a result of assisting a person who is suffering. Compassion fatigue, burnout, and low compassion satisfaction are all hazards that professional caregivers encounter. However, in comparison to non-medical workers, psychiatrists were found to have higher levels of compassion fatigue. We conducted a cross-sectional study that targeted all psychiatrists and psychiatric trainees enlisted in Saudi Arabia at the only registering body, the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS). The SCFHS approved and sent an online survey consisting of a three-section questionnaire concerning sociodemographic, personal, and professional information and the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL 5). Compassion fatigue was found at an average level in 43.2% of participants, while 56.3% had a low level. An average level of burnout was found in 65.9% of participants, while 34.1% had a low level of burnout. Of all participants, 38.9% had an elevated level of compassion satisfaction. Participants who were diagnosed with psychiatric illness showed higher burnout scores (p<0.001). Divorced or separated participants had a higher compassion satisfaction score compared with single participants. A history of psychological trauma was associated with a higher compassion fatigue score (p=0.002). These findings supported the notion of trauma as a specific risk factor for compassion fatigue. They also attested to the huge burden among psychiatrists and psychiatric trainees as part of the nature of this profession. We advise developing systematic and proactive tools to screen for trauma and to support practicing and future psychiatrists, especially those at risk of compassion fatigue.