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Associations Between Supervisory Alliance, Medical Resident Distress, Burnout, and Self-Esteem
Danielle L Terry1, Prabhdeep Bajwa1
1Guthrie Medical Group, Sayre, PA, USA.
A strong supervisory alliance is linked to lower burnout and distress, and higher self-esteem in medical trainees. This highlights the importance of supportive supervision for well-being during medical training.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychology
- Healthcare Professional Well-being
Background:
- Supervision in medical training is a collaborative process crucial for development.
- The supervisory alliance, a key component of effective supervision, significantly impacts trainee outcomes.
- High rates of burnout and distress are prevalent in medical training environments, yet the role of supervisory alliance remains under-examined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To adapt existing models of supervisory alliance to the medical education context.
- To investigate the association between the educational alliance and medical trainees' self-esteem, burnout, and distress.
Main Methods:
- 108 medical trainees participated in a voluntary, anonymous electronic survey.
- Data were collected from trainees at a rural teaching hospital in Pennsylvania.
- Multiple linear regression was employed to analyze the relationship between supervisory alliance and trainee outcomes, controlling for work and sleep hours.
Main Results:
- A significant association was found between supervisory alliance and burnout among medical trainees.
- Supervisory alliance was also significantly associated with distress levels in medical trainees.
- The study indicated a correlation between supervisory alliance and trainee self-esteem.
Conclusions:
- Understanding factors influencing medical trainee distress and self-esteem is vital due to high burnout rates.
- Strengthening the supervisory alliance may be a protective factor against burnout.
- Future longitudinal research should explore the long-term impact of supervisory alliance on trainee well-being and career trajectory.
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