Prevalence of Anxiety among Paramedic Students in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychiatric illnesses, resulting in considerable functional impairment and distress. The stressful nature and complex work demands of studying and practicing paramedics make them more prone to psychiatric illnesses, one of which is anxiety. AIM: This study aims to determine the prevalence of anxiety among paramedic students in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among paramedic students in the 3rd and 4th year of the Emergency Medical Services of the College of Applied Medical Sciences at all King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Science branches in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Al-Ahsa’a, Saudi Arabia. We obtained the data from our sample size during May 2020. The study utilized the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) test to screen for anxiety and assess its severity in paramedic students. RESULTS: There were 181 participants, of which 133 (73.5%) were male students. Most participants reported being unmarried, 99.4%. Regarding the GAD-7 test, 32.6% had no anxiety, whereas the most had mild anxiety, 43.1%, and 14.9% had moderate anxiety, with the fewest, 9.4% having severe anxiety. CONCLUSION: Significant anxiety level was reported among the students, and most showed excessive worrying and nervousness, which affected them academically and occupationally. More research is required to assess the prevalence of anxiety among paramedic practitioners. Addressing the impact of anxiety on students at an earlier stage can improve their academic and work performance.