Does teaching Optimism lower Burnout in residency training– a pilot study

Figures & data

Figure 1. Optimism curriculum description and coping strategies

Table

One-hour Sessions	Description	Ways of Coping Framework[^Citation5,Citation17]
		Problem-focused	Emotion-focused
Session 1	Overview – Background, theoretical construct, and demonstrated tools to measure and teach	Positive reappraisal	Acknowledge feelings
	Importance of optimism in the workplace and impact on improving well-being and preventing burnout	Active problem solving	Accepting responsibility
	Group Exercise: Case discussions demonstrating how different situations could be approached in an optimistic manner	Seeking social support Confrontive coping	Avoiding denial and distancing
	Reflective Exercise: Comparing self-evaluative and peer perceptions of each participant’s level of optimism	Active problem solving	Accepting Responsibility
Session 2	Seven habits of optimists: Discussion of reflections, personal beliefs, or rationalizations that inhibit improving optimistic habits	Active problem solving Seeking social support	Acknowledge feelings
	Addressing cognitive distortions: Group discussion of commonly encountered situations	Positive reappraisal	Minimizing self-blame Avoiding denial and distancing
	Reflective Exercise: Thought Record – ‘putting the thought on trial’	Active problem solving	Acknowledge feelings
Session 3	Summarizing: review of prior session themes – definition, benefits, cognitive distortions, neural basis of optimism and group exercises	Positive reappraisal	Accepting responsibility
	Introduction to mindfulness and demonstration of mindfulness exercise	Active problem solving

Table 1. Results of Optimism curriculum intervention

	Burnout	Optimism (S.D.)	Happiness (S.D.)
Pre-curriculum	41%	15.9 (± 4.3)	5.1 (± 1.3)
Post-curriculum	26%	17.0 (± 4.4)	5.2 (± 1.2)
P Value	0.24	0.33	0.66
Effect Size	0.34	0.28	0.11

Table 1 displays the results of the teaching program and the outcomes of burnout, optimism and happiness.

Schiller JH, Stansfield RB, Belmonte DC, et al. Medical students‘ use of different coping strategies and relationship with academic performance in preclinical and clinical years. Teach Learn Med. 2018;30(1):15‐21.

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Data Availability Statement

Due to the nature of this research, participants of this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data is not available.