Second victim syndrome in Egypt: a critical ethical dilemma at the intersection of malpractice, self-care, and medical law among physicians

Abstract Background Second Victim Syndrome (SVS) describes the emotional and psychological distress experienced by healthcare workers following involvement in medical errors. In Egypt, the prevalence of SVS is intensified by limited knowledge of medical liability law, lack of institutional support, and inadequate training in error reporting, which result in ethical, psychological, and legal challenges. An anonymous, structured, cross-sectional survey was conducted and distributed via Google Forms among 203 Egyptian physicians between May and November 2024 to investigate this phenomenon and the related challenges. Results 84.7% reported absence of hospital error reporting systems, 95.1% lacked malpractice reporting training, 50.0% experienced significant emotional distress, and 92.1% of the participants lacked awareness of the law’s articles. Conclusion The findings highlight the extent of SVS in Egypt, which leads to critical ethical dilemmas that jeopardize patient safety and physician well-being in Egypt. Addressing these issues requires urgent reforms in training, institutional support, and medico-legal education.