Social Responsibility And Professional Perceptions Among Pharmacists, Nurses, Social Workers, And Dentists In The Care Of Adolescents With Diabetes In Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background:
Adolescent diabetes remains a major health concern in Saudi Arabia, with increasing prevalence and multifactorial challenges that extend beyond glycemic control. Effective management requires the combined social, ethical, and professional commitment of healthcare providers. This review explores how pharmacists, nurses, social workers, and dentists perceive and enact their social responsibility and professional roles in adolescent diabetes care within the Saudi healthcare system.

Methods:
An integrative narrative review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, and Saudi national health databases from 2015 to 2025. Forty-two peer-reviewed studies met inclusion criteria encompassing clinical, educational, psychosocial, and oral-health dimensions. Data were analyzed thematically to identify cross-disciplinary trends related to professional perception, role awareness, and institutional influences.

Results:
Findings revealed that all professions acknowledge a moral and social obligation toward adolescents with diabetes, though the degree of operational integration remains limited. Pharmacists emphasize medication optimization and education; nurses focus on holistic follow-up and family engagement; social workers provide psychosocial and advocacy support; and dentists address oral complications and preventive care. Institutional hierarchies, fragmented interprofessional communication, and limited oral-health inclusion impede cohesive care.

Conclusion:
Adolescent diabetes care in Saudi Arabia is inherently multidisciplinary, demanding unified frameworks of social responsibility among pharmacists, nurses, social workers, and dentists. Strengthening interprofessional education, embedding oral-health and psychosocial dimensions into national diabetes programs, and aligning practice with Vision 2030 health transformation goals are essential to achieving holistic, patient-centered outcomes.