Promoting Surgical Resident Well-being Through Therapist-Facilitated Discussion Groups: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

Objective

To improve the well-being and sense of community of surgical trainees.

Design

Residents were invited to participate in confidential discussion groups during protected education time to have a safe space to support each other through common struggles. The groups were facilitated by licensed mental health professionals with experience working with medical trainees. An anonymous voluntary wellness survey and a qualitative feedback survey were used to understand residents’ experience participating in these discussion groups.

Setting

Single large academic institution.

Participants

General surgery and obstetrics and gynecology residents.

Results

677 resident responses to the wellness survey were collected between 2020 and 2023. Compared to residents who participated in < 5 discussion group sessions, residents participating in ≥ 5 sessions reported improved self-perception of their own competency and capability (p = 0.012), and in their ability to contribute to others’ well-being (p = 0.045). They also reported considering more of their co-residents as friends (p = 0.002), increased willingness to discuss personal problems with their co-residents (p < 0.001), and were more likely to report recently working with peers to solve a common problem (p = 0.041). In a second qualitative survey (n = 53), resident feedback revealed an appreciation for the opportunity to discuss shared experiences, creating community, having a safe space and dedicated time for introspection, and receiving input from a therapist. Opportunities for improvement included providing more structure to the discussion, increasing the frequency of group meetings, and focusing on developing coping skills.

Conclusion

Therapist-facilitated discussion groups can improve aspects of trainees’ mental well-being and help foster relatedness, community, and shared problem solving with peers. Residency programs should consider incorporating similar programs into their wellness initiatives.