Evaluation of a Multicomponent Psychosocial Skill Training Program for Junior Physicians in Their First Year at Work: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND: The present study was designed to gather preliminary information regarding the feasibility of implementing a psychosocial resilience program and to assess if the program would potentially promote protective factors (such as resiliency, self-efficacy) and job satisfaction as well as decreasing perceived stress among a sample of German junior physicians.

METHODS: Eighty-two junior physicians in their first year after graduation took part in the project and were randomized in a controlled trial to either an intervention or a control group for 3 months. The intervention group was offered resilience training combined with cognitive behavioral and solution-focused counseling. Primary outcome measures included scales of the PSQ, BRCS, SWOPE, and COPSOQ. Two post-intervention follow-up measurements proved the effectiveness of the intervention.

RESULTS: There was a significant improvement between baseline and follow-up intervention scores on measures of resilience, self-efficacy, optimism, and perceived stress observed in the intervention group compared to the control group. Job satisfaction did not significantly differ between baseline and follow-ups.

CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the program to enhance resilience and decrease stress among physicians is feasible to implement as a group training program in a workplace setting. Further, the intervention provides statistically significant improvement in perceptions of distress and strengthens protective factors (such as resiliency).