Mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety, pose significant public health challenges globally, and in Saudi Arabia. Despite this, psychiatry suffers from a critical shortage of specialists. This study investigates factors influencing medical students’ career decisions in regard to psychiatry, aiming to enhance understanding of, and address workforce deficiencies in, mental healthcare.

This study aims to investigate the factors influencing medical students’ decision to choose psychiatry as a future career.

This cross-sectional study conducted an online survey among Saudi Arabian medical students from 28 December 2023 to 28 April 2024, employing validated questions refined through pilot testing. Participant selection included male and female students across preclinical and clinical stages, excluding non-medical students and those outside Saudi Arabia.

This study explores the perceptions and interest of 430 medical students in Saudi Arabia regarding psychiatry as a career. The majority were female (69.3%), with most in their preclinical years (60.2%). Key findings include limited personal connections to psychiatry (9.5% with a family psychiatrist), and primarily influenced by medical school (55.3%) and social media (42.1%). While 65.1% perceive psychiatry as mentally demanding, uncertainties exist about career prospects and stigma persists (39.1%). Gender differences were observed, with more females (34.6%) than males (22.7%) interested in psychiatry (P = 0.014). Early inspiration in medical education significantly increased interest (P = 0.001).

Early exposure, personal connections and gender-specific factors significantly influence medical students’ interest in psychiatry as a career. Integrating psychiatry education early in medical curricula and addressing stigma are critical for fostering positive perceptions and attracting diverse students to the field.

To enhance the emergency response preparedness of public health professionals in Saudi Arabia, the World Health Organization Rapid Response Team Advanced Training Package (WHO RRT ATP) was adapted. It was designed to align with local cultural and operational contexts.

A 2-day workshop was conducted involving experts who reviewed and modified the adapted WHO RRT ATP training materials. The process was structured into 7 phases: needs assessment, stakeholder analysis, cultural tailoring, content adaptation, module selection, implementation planning, and evaluation framework development.

Key challenges revealed included inadequate hospital coordination, shortage of trained personnel and medical services, and insufficient knowledge of disease transmission. Core training modules were adapted, and supplementary materials were reviewed. Key considerations included addressing existing gaps, cultural sensitivity, and current outbreak trends in KSA. Participants’ feedback showed high satisfaction, with 86.7% of participants providing a mean rating of 4.77 on day 1 and 80% of participants giving an average rating of 4.67 on day 2 on a Likert scale of 1-5.

Cultural and country needs were key factors in the workshop’s successful outcomes. The adapted training program is anticipated to significantly enhance the preparedness of health care professionals in KSA to manage public health emergencies.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the best-evidenced psychosocial interventions for psychosis and is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the American Psychiatric Association. CBT was developed and derived from Western cultural values, which may not be appropriate for non-Western cultures. Trials of CBT in Western countries have indicated that participants from ethnic minority groups demonstrate low rates of engagement, retention, and recruitment. This indicates that the principles underlying CBT may conflict with individual beliefs and cultural values in non-Western countries. Therefore, we interviewed 15 people diagnosed with schizophrenia and 15 with their family members to explore the beliefs and attitudes of people diagnosed with schizophrenia and their family members concerning the proposed CBT intervention for psychosis in the Saudi context. The findings revealed that most participants accepted the proposed intervention. Important factors that influenced participants’ engagement and motivation in the CBT intervention were related to the therapist’s qualities (sex, empathy, and competence), family involvement, religion, and the number and format of CBT sessions for psychosis.

1. (1) To explore the beliefs and attitudes of people diagnosed with schizophrenia concerning the proposed CBT intervention for psychosis and how to improve it to make it more appropriate for their needs and cultures.

2. (2) To explore the beliefs and attitudes of family members of people diagnosed with schizophrenia concerning the proposed CBT intervention for psychosis and how to improve it to make it more appropriate to their needs and culture.

Disasters pose significant challenges globally, affecting millions of people annually. In Saudi Arabia, floods constitute a prevalent natural disaster, underscoring the necessity for effective disaster preparedness among Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers. Despite their critical role in disaster response, research on disaster preparedness among EMS workers in Saudi Arabia is limited.

The study aimed to explore the disaster preparedness among EMS workers in Saudi Arabia. This study applied an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to explore disaster preparedness among EMS workers in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the qualitative phase. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 EMS workers from National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA) and Ministry of Health (MOH) facilities in Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah. Thematic analysis was conducted following Braun and Clarke’s six-step process, ensuring data rigor through Schwandt, et al’s criteria for trustworthiness.

The demographic characteristics of participants revealed a predominantly young, male workforce with varying levels of experience and educational backgrounds. Thematic analysis identified three key themes: (1) Newly/developed profession, highlighting the challenges faced by young EMS workers in acquiring disaster preparedness; (2) Access to opportunities and workplace resources (government versus military), indicating discrepancies in disaster preparedness support between government and military hospitals; and (3) Workplace policies and procedures, highlighting the need for clearer disaster policies, training opportunities, and role clarity among EMS workers.

The study underscores the importance of addressing the unique challenges faced by EMS workers in Saudi Arabia to enhance disaster preparedness. Recommendations include targeted support for young EMS professionals, standardization of disaster training across health care facilities, and improved communication of disaster policies and procedures. These findings have implications for policy and practice in disaster management and EMS training in Saudi Arabia.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers are critical to effective disaster response. Therefore, it is important to understand their knowledge, skills, and preparedness for disasters. This study investigated factors influencing EMS workers’ disaster knowledge, skills, and preparedness in the Saudi Arabian context. The study also sought to identify challenges to disaster preparedness among Saudi Arabian EMS workers.

A descriptive cross-sectional survey using The Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool was distributed to EMS workers in military and government hospitals across 3 Saudi Arabian cities. Responses were recorded on a 6-point Likert scale where higher scores indicated higher knowledge, skills, or preparedness. The results were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis.

272EMS workers participated in this study. EMS workers reported a moderate level of knowledge (3.56), skills (3.44), and preparedness (3.73) for disasters. Despite this, EMS workers reported a high level of involvement in regular disaster drills (M = 4.24, SD = 1.274) and a strong interest in further disaster education opportunities (M = 5.43, SD = 1.121). Participants also reported a high skill level with the triage principles used in their workplace during a disaster (M = 4.06, SD = 1.218). The study findings revealed a significant positive correlation between disaster preparedness levels and age, years of experience, education level, and the facility worked in.

EMS workers have moderate disaster knowledge, skills, and preparedness levels. Knowledge, skill, and preparedness have a significant relationship on the EMS workers’ demographics. These findings demonstrate the need to invest in preparing Saudi Arabian EMS workers to effectively respond to bioterrorism disasters.

Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents are those that involve chemical or biological warfare agents or toxic radiological or nuclear materials. These agents can cause disasters intentionally or accidentally. Hospitals play a crucial role in handling CBRN disasters. This study aimed to assess the CBRN preparedness of government hospitals in Riyadh.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted across government hospitals in Riyadh. All government hospitals with more than 100 inpatient beds and an emergency department met the inclusion criteria. Hospital preparedness was assessed using an adaptation of the CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive event) Plan Checklist. This adaptation was chosen due to the inclusion of explosive events in hospital disaster readiness, and its structural composition of key clinical guidelines necessary for a comprehensive disaster and readiness plan. Results were described in frequencies across several domains such as foundational considerations and planning which are used to assess plan preparedness using readiness tools, training, and awareness among staff members in accordance to a pre-established emergency plan, placed procedures and their implementation, and modules for preparing for a biological incident, a chemical incident, and a radiological or nuclear incident.

Of the 11 eligible hospitals, 10 participated in the study. Furthermore, CBRN considerations were included in the disaster plans of 7 hospitals. Drills had been conducted in collaboration with local agencies in only 2 hospitals. The staff had been trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of exposure to class (A) biological agents in less than half of the hospitals. Eight of the hospitals had antidotes and prophylactics to manage chemical incidents, but only half of them had radiation detection instruments. Personal protective equipment was available in all hospitals, but rapid access to stockpiles of medications was available in only half of them.

Government hospitals in Riyadh demonstrated insufficient CBRN preparedness as per the CBRNE Plan Checklist. Overall, there was a lack of preemptive planning, application of pre-established policies and procedures, and adequate staff training. Furthermore, several hospitals had insufficient stockpiles of medications and in concrete plans on accessing government stockpiles in the case of an emergency. Therefore, their staffs should be trained to manage CBRN emergencies, and local drills should be conducted to improve their preparedness.