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World J Psychiatry. Nov 19, 2026; 16(11): 124345
Published online Nov 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.124345
Published online Nov 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.124345
Rates and correlates of illness anxiety disorder among health college students: A cross-sectional study
Ahmad Nayef Alhadi, Raghad Bander Almashan, Reema Mohammed Alshehri, Reem Ali Alhazmi, Nourah Abdulkarim Alfawaz, Mashael Mohammad Alsuliman, Alanoud Abdulsalam Almarzuqi, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh 11472, Saudi Arabia
Ahmad Nayef Alhadi, Raghad Bander Almashan, Reema Mohammed Alshehri, Reem Ali Alhazmi, Nourah Abdulkarim Alfawaz, Mashael Mohammad Alsuliman, Alanoud Abdulsalam Almarzuqi, SABIC Psychological Health Research & Applications Chair, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11472, Saudi Arabia
Author contributions: Alhadi AN provided supervision and critical feedback; and Alhadi AN, Almashan RB, Alshehri RM, Alhazmi RA, Alfawaz NA, Alsuliman MM, and Almarzuqi AA conducted the literature review and contributed to the study design, methodology development, and data collection, management, and analysis.
AI contribution statement: During the preparation of this manuscript, ChatGPT (version 5) was used to assist with spelling and grammar checks. The authors reviewed and edited the manuscript as needed and take full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and final content of the manuscript.
Supported by the Ongoing Research Funding Program of King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, No. ORF-RC-2026-48-01.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of King Saud University (Approval No. E-24-8502).
Informed consent statement: Electronic informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their inclusion in the study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement—checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement—checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: The dataset generated and analyzed during the current study is available from the corresponding author (alhadi@ksu.edu.sa) upon reasonable request. The presented data are anonymized and the risk of participant identification is low. No additional data are available
Corresponding author: Ahmad Nayef Alhadi, MD, Consultant, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, PO Box 7805(55), Riyadh 11472, Saudi Arabia. alhadi@ksu.edu.sa
Received: June 12, 2026
Revised: July 13, 2026
Accepted: August 10, 2026
Published online: November 19, 2026
Processing time: 139 Days and 12.3 Hours
Revised: July 13, 2026
Accepted: August 10, 2026
Published online: November 19, 2026
Processing time: 139 Days and 12.3 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Illness anxiety disorder was identified in 28.9% of health college students at King Saud University, indicating a notable psychological concern within this group. Higher levels were found among female students, those enrolled in nursing programs, and individuals with prior psychiatric conditions or experiences of abuse or neglect. No meaningful associations were observed with age, academic level, or personal and family medical history. These results highlight the importance of focused mental health screening and support strategies for vulnerable student populations in healthcare education settings.