How Positive Psychology Can Augment Leadership Through the Therapeutic Alliance

Today's health care professionals must apply psychology and leadership principles to help patients achieve health behavior changes. However, this content is not currently emphasized in most medical curricula. This curriculum synthesized these topics in a way enabling learners to apply them to direct patient care.

The curriculum consisted of two 1-hour workshops about positive psychology and leadership in direct patient care, respectively. In total, 35 medical students, faculty, family medicine residents, and psychiatry residents participated. Participants completed preparticipation, postparticipation, and 6-week follow-up surveys. The primary outcomes were learners' perceived importance, confidence, and knowledge regarding positive psychology and leadership. The secondary outcome was the impact on patient care practices after receiving the education.

Perceived importance of positive psychology and leadership to patient care increased modestly from pre- (Mdn = 4.2) to posttest (Mdn = 4.7). Confidence in the core concepts increased from pre- (Mdn = 1.6) to posttest (Mdn = 4.0). Knowledge increased markedly from pre- (Mdn = 2.9) to posttest (Mdn = 4.7). Participants reported changes in patient care practices after receiving the positive psychology and leadership content at the 6-week follow-up. They also reported high levels of relevance of the content to direct patient care.

This curriculum significantly increased learners' perceived importance, confidence, and knowledge regarding the core topics and was associated with changes in their patient care practices. Given its brevity and effectiveness at producing participant-level behavior changes, this content could be easily integrated into medical trainee and staff didactic time.