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Establishing and evaluating a Balint group for fourth-year medical students at an Irish University

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 August 2019

Sorcha McManus ,
David Killeen ,
Yvonne Hartnett ,
Gearoid Fitzgerald  and
Kieran C. Murphy
Sorcha McManus*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Smurfit Building, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons, Smurfit Building, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland
David Killeen
Affiliation:
St Patrick’s University Hospital, St James’s Street, Dublin 8, Ireland
Yvonne Hartnett
Affiliation:
St Patrick’s University Hospital, St James’s Street, Dublin 8, Ireland
Gearoid Fitzgerald
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons, Smurfit Building, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland UK & Ireland Balint Society, 23 Bainbridge Road, Headingley, Leeds, IS6 3AD, United Kingdom
Kieran C. Murphy
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Smurfit Building, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland
*
*Address for correspondence: Sorcha McManus, Department of Psychiatry, Smurfit Building, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland. (Email: sorchamcmanus@rcsi.com)
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Abstract

Objective

The study was designed to establish and evaluate the impact of a 6-week Balint group on empathy and resilience in fourth-year medical students during their psychiatry rotation.

Methodology

This prospective study used the Jefferson Scale of Empathy – Student Version and the Brief Resilience Scale before and after 6-week Balint groups. Participating students also completed a qualitative assessment of their experience.

Results

Students who participated were enthusiastic regarding the value of Balint groups in promoting self-reflection and gaining insight into self- and patient-care dynamics. There was a significant difference in empathy scores pre- and post-Balint intervention. There was no significant difference in resilience scores.

Conclusion

The establishment of a 6-week Balint group for fourth-year medical students was successful in increasing empathy. Students reported a positive view of Balint and its beneficial role in this study group.

Keywords

Balintempathymedical studentsresilience
Type
Original Research
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , June 2020 , pp. 99 - 105
Copyright
© College of Psychiatrists of Ireland 2019

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