Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Saudi Medical, Nursing, and Pharmacy Students and Interns Regarding Antidepressant Drugs and Drug-Induced Serotonin Syndrome

Abstract

Background and aim Antidepressant drugs are commonly used to treat depressive disorders and anxiety. However, they can cause side effects, including drug-induced serotonin syndrome, which is a potentially life-threatening condition. It is essential to understand the level of knowledge of healthcare professionals who are likely to prescribe and administer these medications. This article aims to assess the knowledge of Saudi medical, nursing, and pharmacy students and interns regarding antidepressant drugs and drug-induced serotonin syndrome. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical, nursing, and pharmacy students and interns in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from participants. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: demographic information, knowledge about antidepressants, and knowledge about serotonin syndrome. Results A total of 425 participants were included in the study. The median knowledge score for antidepressants and serotonin syndrome was moderate to good, with median scores of 18 out of 23 (IQR: 16-20) and eight out of 12 (IQR: 6-10), respectively. However, more than half of the participants had sufficient knowledge about these topics, with only 227 (53.4%) and 264 (62.1%) having sufficient knowledge about antidepressants and serotonin syndrome, respectively. Regarding serotonin syndrome, males had a significantly higher proportion of sufficient knowledge compared to females, 86 (70.5%) out of 122 vs. 178 (58.7%) out of 303 (p=0.024), respectively. Medical students/interns had a significantly higher proportion of sufficient knowledge about antidepressants compared to nursing students/interns. According to the academic year, interns had the highest proportion of sufficient knowledge. Conclusion The current study revealed that Saudi medical, nursing, and pharmacy students and interns had moderate to good levels of knowledge about antidepressants and serotonin syndrome. The participating students had slightly better knowledge about serotonin syndrome in comparison to knowledge about antidepressants. Further research is needed to identify the causes of the knowledge gap and develop targeted interventions to address these causes. Educational efforts to ensure the safe and effective use of antidepressants are needed.

Keywords: medical education; medical students; mental health; psychopharmacology; serotonergic medications; side effects.

Figure 1. Level of knowledge among the participants regarding antidepressants and serotonin syndrome