An interventional study of Process group in Stress, sponsored by Western University of Health Sciences. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-08-22.
Sponsored by Western University of Health Sciences · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
The incidence of burnout and mental ill-health begins very early in medical school and continues to be high throughout training. Medical students are under high amounts of stress, which often becomes chronic, and can lead to both physical and psychological issues as a student, resident, and physician. Chronic stress and burnout in medical students are not a new phenomenon, but recent research has highlighted the worsening mental health of medical students, with as high as three-quarters of students reporting mental ill-health. It is vital that ways are found to reduce burnout and assist in improving the mental health of medical students. This quasi-experimental study aimed to assess the effect of a small process group vs. a control group of preclinical medical students on their stress, resilience, and grit.
The investigators assessed the effects of a year-long small process group intervention, led by a psychiatrist, which aimed to improve self-awareness, mindfulness, and resilience in first and second-year medical students. Students self-selected into the process group, and the same number were randomly recruited as controls from the rest of the preclinical student body. The psychiatrist who led the groups was blinded to student participation in the study. Students in the process and control groups were surveyed with the Perceived Stress Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Grit Scale in September 2022, and again after nine months and 25 sessions, in May 2023, after the academic year. Statistical analysis was done with R Studio. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy was used to conceptualize the study. Recruitment was done by email, as was data collection. The intervention included guided exploration of the psychodynamic process, group dynamic theory, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, boundaries, and empathy.
Western University of Health Sciences is the lead sponsor of 21 studies on the registry; 2 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Medical students enrolled in the small process group, led by psychiatrist.
Behavioral: Process group
Medical students from the same cohorts, not enrolled in the small process group.
The medical student process group served as a space for students to gain increased self-awareness through guided exploration of the psychodynamic processes.
Perceived Stress Scale-14
Stress measured on a 0-56 scale; higher number means more stress. Each of the 14 questions is measured on a 0-4 scale of 0 = Never, 1 = Almost Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Fairly Often, 4 = Very Often.
Time frame: 34 weeks
Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-25
Resilience is measured on this 25-item scale, with higher numbers meaning more resilience. The score can range between 0 and 100. Each item has anchors from 0-4.
Time frame: 34 weeks
The Grit Scale
The original 12-item grit scale was used to measure grit; each items is rated 1-5, then scores are summed and divided by 12, so the final score is between 1-5. Higher scores mean more grit.
Time frame: 34 weeks
Medication or diagnosis change
Change in anti-depression, anti-anxiety, or other mental health medications or diagnoses on a binary yes/no scale.
Time frame: 34 weeks
Documents are hosted by the registry — open the source record to download them.
Plan to share: Yes — All anonymized demographic and outcome data will be shared in an open-access data repository.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap, Icf
This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Western University of Health Sciences