Resilience, Grit, and Stress in Medical Students

NCT ID: NCT06046183

Last Updated: 2023-09-21

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-09-13
• Study Completion Date: 2024-05-30

Brief 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

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Process Group

Medical students enrolled in the small process group, led by psychiatrist.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Process group

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

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

Control Group

Medical students from the same cohorts, not enrolled in the small process group.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. The participant must be an enrolled student at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-NW

2. Participant must be in their first or second year of medical school

3. Participant must be at least 18 years of age

4. Participant must self-select into either the intervention group or control group

5. Participant must sign informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

1. Data will be excluded if a student goes on a LOA during the course of the year

2. Data will be excluded if a student does not attend a minimum of 12 out of 25 small group sessions

3. Student does not give informed consent

4. Student withdraws consent at any time

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 100 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Western University of Health Sciences

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Edie Sperling

Assistant Professor and Vice-Chair, Medical Anatomical Sciences

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Edie Sperling, DPT

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Western University of Health Sciences

Locations

Western University of Health Science, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific - Northwest

Lebanon, Oregon, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Edie Sperling, DPT

Role: CONTACT

esperling@westernu.edu

5412590229

Mandi Hudson, DO

Role: CONTACT

hudsonm@westernu.edu

541-259-0200

Facility Contacts

Edie Sperling, DPT

Role: primary

esperling@westernu.edu

541-259-0229

Mandi Hudson, DO

Role: backup

hudsonm@westernu.edu

5412590200

Other Identifiers

1902099-2

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id