Reducing Barriers to Well-Being and Promoting Mental Health Resources Through a Pilot Opt-Out Check-In Program for Medical Residents

Abstract

Physicians-in-training experience high rates of mental health, burnout, and well-being concerns, yet face many barriers to accessing care. Burnout is associated with poor self-rated health, sleep disturbances, and other health risks. Unfortunately, residents often face barriers to participating in health-promoting activities due to lack of time, perceived stigma, confidentiality concerns, and low awareness of available services. To improve access to health resources, and specifically mental health support, we developed a pilot opt-out well-being check-in program, offered via videoconferencing, at a large academic medical center. Internal medicine and neurology residents (N = 93) were protected from clinical duties to meet individually with a psychologist. The 45-minute session consisted of a brief assessment, identification of stressors, discussion of well-being goals, and referral to further services as indicated. The study goals were to establish the feasibility of implementing a program-wide intervention, assess resident satisfaction with the intervention, and reduce barriers to mental health and well-being resources. The study authors developed a brief post-session satisfaction survey. Analysis included participation rates and responses to satisfaction survey questions. 64.5% of residents attended the check-in session. Among the 57% who responded to a post-intervention survey, over 90% agreed that the session was valuable, convenient, and recommended program continuation. This health promotion program successfully offered tailored mental health and well-being support within demanding residency training structures. Opt-out programs that minimize barriers to participation are a valuable part of multifaceted workplace well-being initiatives.

Keywords: counseling; health coaching; mental health; physician well-being; program planning and evaluation; residency training; wellness.