Empathy among Saudi Residents at a Tertiary Academic Center during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Association with Perceived Stress.

Autor:	AlSaif HI; Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2925 (34), Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia., Alenezi MN; Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2925 (34), Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia., Asiri M; Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2925 (38), Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia., Alshaibani KO; Tufts Medical Center, Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02111, USA., Alrasheed AA; Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2925 (34), Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia., Alsaad SM; Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2925 (34), Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia., Batais MA; Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2925 (34), Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) [Medicina (Kaunas)] 2022 Sep 11; Vol. 58 (9). Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Sep 11.
DOI:	10.3390/medicina58091258
Abstrakt:	Background and Objectives: Empathy is an important attribute of a healthy doctor−patient relationship. Although multiple studies have assessed empathy in different countries, little is known about its levels among Saudi residents and its association with perceived stress. Objectives: To assess the levels of empathy and to identify if there is an association with stress in general and across the demographic and training characteristics of residents. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out from December 2020 to March 2021 among residents training at a tertiary academic center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Empathy and perceived stress were measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Results: A total of 229 residents participated. The mean JSE score was 105.25 ± 15.35. The mean JSE scores were significantly higher among residents training in pediatrics (mean difference (MD) = 17.35, p < 0.001), family medicine (MD = 12.24, p = 0.007), and medical specialties (MD = 11.11, p = 0.012) when compared with surgical specialties and anesthesia. In addition, residents who worked 1−4 on-calls per month had a higher mean JSE score (MD = 11.23, p = 0.028) compared with those who worked 7 or more on-calls. Lastly, no correlation between empathy and perceived stress was detected in the whole sample (r = −0.007, p = 0.913); however, there was a correlation among residents training in medical specialties (r = −0.245, p = 0.025). Conclusion: Residents in our study had empathy levels comparable with Asian but lower than Western residents. We recommend qualitative studies that explore potential factors that might affect empathy among residents and studying the association between empathy and perceived stress among medical residents. Postgraduate curricula should incorporate interventions that foster a more empathetic doctor−patient relationship. Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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