Can stoic training develop medical student empathy and resilience? A mixed-methods study
Megan E L Brown1, Alexander MacLellan2, William Laughey3
1Health Professions Education Unit, Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK. hymb2@hyms.ac.uk.
BMC Medical Education
|May 3, 2022
Summary
Stoic training improved medical students' resilience and empathy. This online program (SeRenE) enhanced emotional wellbeing and preparedness, demonstrating the value of Stoic philosophy in health professions education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychology
- Philosophy
Background:
- Empathic erosion and burnout are critical issues in medicine.
- Traditional psychological training for empathy and resilience is explored, with Stoic training being a novel area.
- Stoic training shows promise for enhancing emotional wellbeing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of a Stoicism-informed online training package on third-year medical students' resilience and empathy.
- To assess the effectiveness of the SeRenE program in addressing empathic erosion and burnout.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods study evaluated a 12-day online Stoic training program (SeRenE) with 24 third-year medical students.
- Quantitative data collected using Stoic Attitudes and Behaviours Scale (SABS), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE).
- Qualitative data gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Main Results:
- Stoic ideation, resilience, and empathy scores increased significantly post-training.
- Qualitative analysis revealed themes of negative visualization for preparedness, Stoic mindfulness, reflection for empathic imagination, and program accessibility.
- Correlational analyses indicated that resilience and empathy increased concurrently.
Conclusions:
- Stoic-based psychological training positively influences resilience and empathy in medical students.
- Negative visualization enhances self-efficacy and planning, contributing to academic resilience.
- Stoic practices foster an 'empathic imagination' and 'empathic bravery'.
Keywords:
BurnoutEmpathic erosionEmpathyInterventionMedical educationMedical studentsPsychological trainingResilienceStoic trainingMore Related Videos
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