A coaching intervention to improve physician mental health and well-being during COVID-19

Senior doctors play a key leadership role in the mental health and well-being of their staff, therefore promoting and protecting doctor well-being is important.

To assess the acceptability and feasibility of an individual-focussed, six-session virtual coaching program and its potential effectiveness on self-reported levels of psychological distress, well-being, flourishing, and solution-focussed thinking in a cohort of Australian senior doctors.

Program delivery occurred between 1 August 2020 and 8 January 2021. Baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month post-intervention data were collected. Changes from baseline in psychological distress measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-21, well-being, flourishing, and solution-focussed thinking were explored using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Thirty-nine hospital-based senior doctors provided baseline data. Thirty-three (33/39, 85%) completed the intervention. Twenty-five program completers (25/33, 76%) provided survey data at all timepoints. Scores on the DASS-21 differed significantly over time (F(2, 48) = 13.22, P < 0.001) with symptom improvements detected at post-intervention (7.44 [95% CI 2.93-11.95], P < 0.001) which were maintained at 3-months (8.24 [95% CI 3.57-12.91], P < 0.001). These improvements were seen across the DASS-21 Depression (F(2, 48) = 11.31, P < 0.001), Anxiety (F(2, 48) = 12.65, P < 0.001) and Stress (F(2, 48) = 4.04, P < 0.05) scales. Well-being (F(2, 48) = 8.05, P < 0.001), flourishing (F(2, 48) = 7.10, P < 0.01), and solution-focussed thinking (F(1.49, 35.66) = 16.40, P < 0.001) also improved significantly. All respondents who provided program feedback (29/29, 100%) indicated the program was highly acceptable and would recommend it to colleagues.

Results suggest this remote coaching program for doctors is feasible and acceptable and is associated with a reduction in levels of psychological distress.