Allen Rosemary, Watt Felice, Jansen Brendan, Coghlan Edwina, Nathan Elizabeth A
Psychiatry Registrar, Hollywood Private Hospital, Nedlands, WA Australia.
Consultant Psychiatrist, Department of Psychological Medicine, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco, WA, Australia.
Australas Psychiatry. 2017 Aug;25(4):403-406. doi: 10.1177/1039856217700776. Epub 2017 Mar 28.
To explore the indicators of occupational stress in a group of obstetrics and gynaecology doctors and to investigate the impact of work-focused discussion groups over a 6 month period.
The ProQOL questionnaire was used to measure the efficacy of monthly psychiatrist-led Balint style discussion groups on minimising Compassion Fatigue (consisting of Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout). The 25 doctors were given the given the ProQOL questionnaire to complete: (a) at the initiation of the intervention in July 2015, (b) in October 2015, and (c) in December 2015.
Significantly decreased levels of Secondary Traumatic Stress ( p=0.008), Burnout ( p=0.010), as well as significantly increased rates of Compassion Satisfaction ( p=0.035) were recorded. Participants requested that the groups be continued.
Psychiatrist-led work focused discussion groups were associated with improved rates of Secondary Traumatic Stress, Burnout, and Compassion Satisfaction in this sample group.
