Cancer patients, doctors face mental health struggles

Cancer patients, doctors face mental health struggles

By Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: Cancer Aware Nation (CAN) held a workshop for service providers and cancer patients with support from Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). Chairman of CAN, Oncologist Dr Khalid Al-Saleh, gave a lecture on burnout experienced by service providers and the exhaustion health professionals are exposed to due to time constraints and lack of control over organization of work, in addition to the lack of smoothness in organizational work and weak leadership. Other reasons for exhaustion include work getting out of control, exhaustive work environment, working a long time without leave and little sleep or relaxation, adding that being emotionally close to a patient also causes exhaustion.

Dr Saleh divided exhaustion into joint, personal and work environment levels. He said a survey was conducted on exhaustion levels in dealing with the patients, which revealed 5.26 percent of medics enjoy work, 60.53 percent feel they are under pressure and that they use all their energy and 26.95 percent experience physical and emotional exhaustion.

Dr Saleh said exhaustion rates due to dealing with patients is 10-70 percent among nurses and 30-50 percent among doctors and their assistants who provide weak service compared to their colleagues who have rest periods and