Delivering Bad News: Emotional Perspective and Coping Strategies of Medical Students

The aim of our study was to analyze students' emotional experiences and coping mechanisms regarding the situation of delivering bad news (DBN).

291 fifth- and sixth-year students from 14 medical universities took part in our study. Their responses were analyzed from the perspective of their experience - whether the individuals received bad news, delivered bad news themselves, witnessed bad news being delivered, or had no experience at all. We used content analysis (CA) to examine the responses and analyzed classified variables using χ² tests, logistic regression, and predictive modeling with multiple correspondence analysis (MCA).

Students who had experience as a deliverer were more likely to experience failure and guilt (p=0.005). Predictions of anxiety (59.3%), stress (41.9%), and sadness (33.7%) were the highest in the students with no DBN experience. These students were most likely to make statements suggesting lack of methods and strategies for coping with difficult emotions. Students, who were immersed in DBN experiences, more often expressed the need to talk about their emotions with an experienced doctor, a family member or a friend, and used those conversations as a coping strategy.

The most important aspects that influence the quality of delivering bad news are both communication skills and emotional context. Training regarding DBN should not only contain those two elements, but also consider the development of coping mechanisms.