A practical study on improving the professional happiness of clinical teachers

To evaluate, in a single-group, pre-post pragmatic study across six tertiary hospitals, the effectiveness of a structured, multidimensional programme in improving the professional happiness of hospital clinical teachers, and to explore organisational factors and putative mechanisms to inform improvements in the medical education environment.

This study did not use a concurrent control arm and therefore focused on within-participant changes over time. A six-week programme included mindfulness-based stress management, peer-coaching circles, leadership feedback loops, and written policy briefs. The Professional Well-Being scale (PWB) was the primary outcome; secondary outcomes were the Workload Index and Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4). Assessments were conducted at baseline (T0), post-intervention at week 6 (T1), and 12 ± 1 weeks after T1 (T2). Linear mixed-effects models with time (T1, T2 vs. T0) and random intercepts for hospital/department estimated changes in outcomes. Exploratory structural modelling was conducted; multiplicity was not adjusted for exploratory paths.

PWB increased from T0 to T1 and was maintained at T2 (small-to-moderate effects), while perceived stress decreased; workload showed no material change. Exploratory analyses indicated that higher remuneration satisfaction and a more supportive interpersonal climate were associated with larger PWB gains. Structural equation modelling was exploratory and limited by suboptimal global fit; findings regarding mechanisms should be considered hypothesis-generating.

A six-week, multidimensional programme was associated with improved professional happiness and lower perceived stress among clinical teachers. Prioritising pay transparency and interpersonal climate may be promising organisational levers, although causal inference is limited by the single-arm design, self-reported outcomes and a 12-week follow-up horizon. Longer-term, controlled evaluations with objective indicators are warranted.