Can an Arts Course Help Mitigate Medical Student Burnout?

Abstract

Introduction Burnout in healthcare providers begins early, with about half of medical students experiencing symptoms of burnout, and as many as one-quarter experiencing depression. While organizational, systemic-level changes certainly contribute to mitigation, organizationally sponsored individual-level changes may also play a significant role. Although the nature of the burnout epidemic and its impact on trainee wellness is fairly well understood, and interventions have been studied, there remains a gap in the empirical research examining the impact of the arts on medical student well-being. Methods We designed a convergent mixed methods study to evaluate whether a 9-month course for fourth-year medical students called Art as Self Care (AASC) would help trainees develop habits that supported their well-being. An online survey was used to collect data at the beginning and end of each academic year on two consecutive cohorts of students. A focus group explored students’ experience with and perceptions about the course. Results Qualitative results indicated that the AASC course provided positive distraction that is calming and allowed students to shift focus from the stresses of daily medical school life. Our quantitative results suggest that art might provide a slight protective effect in medical students: whereas 22% of the non-AASC students saw a worsening of their psychological distress across the fourth year of medical school, this was observed in only 13% of the AASC students. Discussion Our study presents pilot and feasibility data to better inform future research and practice around the use of art to support medical student well-being. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01604-y.

Art Interventions to Mitigate Burnout in Health Care Professionals: A Systematic Review

“… 31 Volpe and coauthors noted an decrease in clinician reported stress. 26 Another study compared a brief coloring book intervention with therapy dog exposure and saw decreases in salivary cortisol levels and self-reported stress levels, but the results were not statistically significant. 23 …”

“…The authors also noted that 6 studies used a control group to assess the association of stress or burnout with the art intervention. 16,18,[23][24][25][26] The other studies used non-participants from the same clinical groups as controls.…”

Enhancing self-care education amongst medical students: a systematic scoping review

“…Expand their scope of vision 6. Strengthening capacity to tolerate ambiguity [ 155 – 158 ] Online mental health education 1. Skills for independent living 2.…”

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Using a literary and arts magazine to promote mental health and wellness among trainee healthcare professionals: lessons from a Canadian student-led project

“… 7 Exposure to art or participation in group-based creative writing workshops can improve anxiety and depressive symptoms and be protective against burnout. 8 , 9 …”