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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2019 Jun 3;19(1):182.
doi: 10.1186/s12909-019-1616-9.

A randomized controlled trial of well-being therapy to promote adaptation and alleviate emotional distress among medical freshmen

Yuan-Yuan Xu  1 , Tong Wu  1 , Yong-Ju Yu  1 , Min Li  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A randomized controlled trial of well-being therapy to promote adaptation and alleviate emotional distress among medical freshmen

Yuan-Yuan Xu et al. BMC Med Educ. .

Abstract

Background: Maladjustment and emotional distress are extremely prevalent among first-year medical students in college and are associated with numerous negative consequences for medical freshmen, their families and universities. The current research aimed to detect the efficacy of a well-being therapy in promoting adaptation to college life and alleviating emotional distress among medical freshmen.

Methods: One hundred one participants who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Well-being therapy was given to the intervention group weekly for 5 weeks (WBT, n = 50). At the same time, students in the placebo control condition (CC, n = 51) were required to record early memory for 5 weeks and at weekly meetings it would be shared voluntarily. Psychological well-being, adaptation, anxiety and depression were recorded at pretest, posttest, and at three-month follow-up. Data from 87 first-year students with complete follow-ups (WBT, n = 39; CC, n = 48) were analyzed over three time periods.

Results: Compared with the control group, students undergoing the 5-week well-being therapy reported larger improvements in psychological well-being and adaptation, and greater alleviation in symptoms of anxiety and depression from pretest to posttest to follow-up.

Conclusions: Well-being intervention may provide first-year medical students with skills to efficiently manage maladjustment and emotional distress. It seems that medical freshmen would benefit a lot when such an intervention programme could be incorporated into the general medical education.

Trial registration number: ChiCTR-ROC-17012636. Registered 11 September 2017 (Retrospectively registered) at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry.

Keywords: Adaptation; Anxiety; Depression; First year medical students; Psychological well-being.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow of participants
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Participants’ mean levels of outcome measures (a. Psychological well-being; b. Adaptation; c. Depression; d. Anxiety) at baseline, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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