NCT06046183

Resilience, Grit, and Stress in Medical Students

Outcomes of Small Group Process Work on Medical Students' Resilience, Grit, and Stress Over Multiple Cohorts

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Western University of Health Sciences · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 100 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The incidence of burnout and mental ill-health begins very early in medical school and continues to be high throughout training. Medical students are under high amounts of stress, which often becomes chronic, and can lead to both physical and psychological issues as a student, resident, and physician. Chronic stress and burnout in medical students are not a new phenomenon, but recent research has highlighted the worsening mental health of medical students, with as high as three-quarters of students reporting mental ill-health. It is vital that ways are found to reduce burnout and assist in improving the mental health of medical students. This quasi-experimental study is an ongoing study which is enrolling cohorts of students as they enter medical school.

Detailed description

The investigators will assess the effects of a year-long small process group intervention, led by a psychiatrist, which aims to improve self-awareness, mindfulness, and resilience in first and second-year medical students. Students self-select into the process group, and a similar number are randomly recruited as controls from the rest of the preclinical student body. The psychiatrist is blinded to student participation in the study. Students in the process and control groups will be surveyed with the Perceived Stress Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Grit Scale in September 2023, and again after nine months and 25 sessions, in May 2024, after the academic year. Statistical analysis will be done with R Studio. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy was used to conceptualize the study. Recruitment is done by email, as is data collection. The intervention includes guided exploration of the psychodynamic process, group dynamic theory, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, boundaries, and empathy.

Conditions

• Stress, Psychological

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Process group	The medical student process group serves as a space for students to gain increased self-awareness through guided exploration of the psychodynamic processes.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-09-13
• Primary completion: 2024-05-30
• Completion: 2024-05-30
• First posted: 2023-09-21
• Last updated: 2023-09-21

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States