Impact of a Residency-Integrated Wellness Program on Resident Mental Health, Sleepiness, and Quality of Life

Abstract

BACKGROUND Physicians are poorly trained in balancing the demands of a career in medicine and maintaining personal health. Physician burnout occurs due to demanding hours and psychological conditions unique to the field. Programs that address overall well-being early in residency are necessary to prevent physician burnout and promote physician mental health. OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of a wellness initiative on anxiety, depression, quality of life, and sleepiness among the resident participants. METHODS A wellness program was initiated and available to resident physicians in the Medical University of South Carolina Department of Neurosurgery. Participants attended weekly group workout sessions with biweekly lectures on mental health and sleep hygiene. Eight resident participants underwent baseline and final psychological testing in July 2015 and June 2016 including the Personal Health Questionnaire Depression Scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale, the Quality of Life Scale, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Participant perceptions of the program were also assessed with an anonymous survey. RESULTS At the conclusion of the pilot year, improvements were observed in anxiety scores (4 to 2.1; P =.039), quality-of-life scores (82.4 to 95.4; P =.007), and sleepiness (8.3 to 5.7; P =.019). In general, resident perceptions of the program were favorable. CONCLUSION Residency-incorporated wellness programs are achievable and can benefit resident mental health. Lack of a control group limits the interpretation of the results. Programs such as these may be implemented to promote well-being and combat physician burnout and its associated mental health abnormalities.