Interventional strategies to address burnout in young medical oncologists: results from the Resilience-Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) Study and a university hospital experience in Spain

Abstract

PURPOSE: Burnout syndrome is an increasingly prevalent problem among young oncologists with a prevalence of up to 71% of physicians in Europe, with potential personal and professional consequences. Few studies have been conducted to evaluate the best primary prevention or interventional strategy to reduce burnout levels. The aim of our study was to determine the efficacy of a therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Resilience-SEOM study was carried out by the + MIR section, which involved three training workshops organized to improve coping and communication skills in a pilot sample of medical oncology residents. On the other hand, the Group Psychotherapy (GP) program was carried out with the mentor of residents of the Oncology Department at the Vall D´Hebron University Hospital, providing a therapeutic space of 1 h per month from September 2023 to June 2024. Participants in both studies completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) at the beginning and at the end of the programs. RESULTS: The results indicate that there was no significant difference in the average initial MBI score, although a trend toward a decrease in burnout levels was observed. The % of participants of workshops with a high level of personal achievement increased from 5 to 25%, the difference being statistically significant (p = 0.002). The results of the GP program show that the difference in the overall pre- and post-intervention scores was statistically significant (0.029). CONCLUSION: In the Resilience-SEOM study, communication skills workshops as an interventional strategy mitigated burnout levels in medical oncology residents, mainly by improving personal achievement. GP as an interventional strategy for burnout could be feasible to address the emotional impact of burnout.