Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) program among Department of Radiology faculty: a pilot randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: To test the efficacy of a Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) program for decreasing stress and anxiety and improving resilience and quality of life among Department of Radiology physicians.

Materials and methods: The study was approved by the institutional review board. A total of 26 Department of Radiology physicians were randomized in a single-blind trial to either the SMART program or a wait-list control arm for 12 weeks. The program involved a single 90-min group session in the SMART training with two follow-up phone calls. Primary outcomes measured at baseline and week 12 included the Perceived Stress Scale, Linear Analog Self-Assessment Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale.

Results: A total of 22 physicians completed the study. A statistically significant improvement in perceived stress, anxiety, quality of life, and mindfulness at 12 weeks was observed in the study arm compared to the wait-list control arm; resilience also improved in the active arm, but the changes were not statistically significant when compared to the control arm.

Conclusions: A single session to decrease stress among radiologists using the SMART program is feasible. Furthermore, the intervention afforded statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in anxiety, stress, quality of life, and mindful attention. Further studies including larger sample size and longer follow-up are warranted.

Keywords: Radiology; burnout; physician; resiliency; stress.