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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2011 Aug;26(8):858-61.
doi: 10.1007/s11606-011-1640-x. Epub 2011 Jan 29.

Stress management and resilience training among Department of Medicine faculty: a pilot randomized clinical trial

Amit Sood  1 , Kavita Prasad, Darrell Schroeder, Prathibha Varkey
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Stress management and resilience training among Department of Medicine faculty: a pilot randomized clinical trial

Amit Sood et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2011 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Physician distress is common and related to numerous factors involving physicians' personal and professional lives. The present study was designed to assess the effect of a Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) program for increasing resiliency and quality of life, and decreasing stress and anxiety among Department of Medicine (DOM) physicians at a tertiary care medical center.

Participants: Forty DOM physicians were randomized in a wait-list controlled clinical trial to either the SMART intervention or a wait-list control group for 8 weeks. The intervention involved a single 90 min one-on-one training in the SMART program. Primary outcome measures assessed at baseline and week 8 included the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CDRS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Smith Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Linear Analog Self Assessment Scale (LASA).

Results: Thirty-two physicians completed the study. A statistically significant improvement in resiliency, perceived stress, anxiety, and overall quality of life at 8 weeks was observed in the study arm compared to the wait-list control arm: CDRS: mean ± SD change from baseline +9.8 ± 9.6 vs. -0.8 ± 8.2, t(30) = 3.18, p = 0.003; PSS: -5.4 ± 8.1 vs. +2.2 ± 6.1, t(30) = -2.76, p = 0.010; SAS: -11.8 ± 12.3 vs.+ 2.9 ± 8.9, t(30) = -3.62, p = 0.001; and LASA: +0.4 ± 1.4 vs. -0.6 ± 1.0, t(30) = 2.29, p = 0.029.

Conclusions: A brief training to enhance resilience and decrease stress among physicians using the SMART program was feasible. Further, the intervention provided statistically significant improvement in resilience, stress, anxiety, and overall quality of life. In the future, larger clinical trials with longer follow-up and possibly wider dissemination of this intervention are warranted.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of the progress in a randomized clinical trial to assess the effect of resiliency training among physicians.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Resilience training and physician well-being.
    Poses RM, Smith WR, Maulitz R. Poses RM, et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2011 Nov;26(11):1243; author reply 1244-5. doi: 10.1007/s11606-011-1854-y. J Gen Intern Med. 2011. PMID: 21901491 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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