Resource-oriented coaching for reduction of examination-related stress in medical students: an exploratory randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Introduction

The years spent in acquiring medical education is considered a stressful period in the life of many students. Students whose mental health deteriorates during this long period of study are less likely to become empathic and productive physicians. In addition to other specific stressors, academic examinations seem to further induce medical school-related stress and anxiety. Combined group and individual resource-oriented coaching early in medical education might reduce examination-related stress and anxiety and, consequently, enhance academic performance. Good quality evidence, however, remains scarce. In this study, therefore, we explored the question of whether coaching affects examination-related stress and health in medical students.

Methods

We conducted a randomized controlled trial. Students who registered for the first medical academic examination in August 2014 at the University of Lübeck were recruited and randomized into three groups. The intervention groups 1 and 2 received a 1-hour psychoeducative seminar. Group 1 additionally received two 1-hour sessions of individual coaching during examination preparation. Group 3 served as a control group. We compared changes in self-rated general health (measured by a single item), anxiety and depression (measured by the hospital anxiety and depression scale), as well as medical school stress (measured by the perceived medical school stress instrument). In order to further investigate the influence of group allocation on perceived medical school stress, we conducted a linear regression analysis.

Results

We saw a significant deterioration of general health and an increase in anxiety and depression scores in medical students while preparing for an examination. We found a small, but statistically significant, effect of group allocation on the development of perceived medical school stress. However, we could not differentiate between the effects of group coaching only and group coaching in combination with two sessions of individual coaching.

Conclusion

The health of medical students deteriorated while preparing for an examination. Short-term resource-oriented coaching might be an effective means of reducing medical school stress in candidates preparing for an examination.

Keywords:

• education
• medical
• undergraduate
• students
• medical
• stress
• psychological
• health promotion
• resilience
• psychological
• counseling

View correction statement:

Resource-Oriented Coaching for Reduction of Examination-Related Stress in Medical Students: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial [Corrigendum]

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Cora Besser-Siegmund, Harry Siegmund, and Gabi Ertel for being a great coaching team and Sophia-Marie Saftien for her superb help during the coaching days. We also wish to thank the Lübeck Medical School, especially Jürgen Westermann, for supporting and funding this study. We would like to thank Angelika and Michael Hüppe for their input regarding design and analysis questions.

Disclosure

FN is a certified wingwave^® coach and acted as one of the coaches in the present study. The authors declare no additional conflicts of interest in this work.