Purpose: To
assess whether a curriculum targeting psychological resilience impacts the
burnout, mindfulness and self-compassion of obstetrics and gynecology interns.
Background: Physician burnout impacts more than half of obstetrician/gynecologists
nationwide. One strategy to reduce
burnout is to improve individual physicians’ resiliency through cognitive and
behavioral strategies linked to wellness in other populations.
Methods: A prospective, longitudinal cohort, mixed-methods evaluation of a 12-hour
curriculum taught to a residency class of seven obstetrics and gynecology
interns was conducted using paired, de-identified, pre- and post-curriculum
assessments of Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Five Facets of Mindfulness
Questionnaire (FFMQ) and Self-Compassion Scale for Researchers (SCS) scores. Data were analyzed descriptively looking
primarily at changes in paired scores. A
post-curriculum focus group was conducted to further investigate curriculum
acceptance and impact.
Results: Burnout exhaustion and depersonalization scores increased following the
curriculum (median difference 3 and 3, respectively). FFMQ and SCS scores also
increased (median difference 20 and 7, respectively). Focus group findings
suggested interns valued the curriculum, but described an acute increase in
distress as they were taken out of their prior “just powering through” coping
strategy.
Discussions: A
wellness curriculum targeting improved resident resilience was associated with
an acute worsening of burnout, but with short-term improvements in mindfulness
and self-compassion, both of which have been associated with improved
well-being and resilience in other populations.
Worsened burnout may have been a result of increased awareness of
uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.
Extensive further research is needed on how to develop and measure
physician resilience, including long-term implications of improved mindfulness
and self-compassion.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2018, Resident, Faculty, Osteopathic Faculty, Residency Director, Professionalism, Interpersonal & Communication Skills, GME, General Ob-Gyn,
Laura Fitzmaurice, MD
University
of California, Irvine
Brennan Peterson, PhD, LMFT; and Julia
Boehm, PhD
