Mental health programme for medical students gets upgrade after successful pilot study
The first ever psychological intervention to help prepare medical students for clinical placements saw significant improvements in resilience, confidence and mental wellbeing after taking part in a pilot online coaching programme called Reboot.
And now an upgraded version of the programme called Thumos, involving small group workshops and a follow-up 1:1 phone or video call with the workshop facilitator afterwards, who is a psychological therapist, is being trailed.
The programme aims to equip medical students with psychological strategies which some people find helpful.
As the study is a trial, 50% of participants will be allocated to receive the intervention, 50% will not receive the intervention, but all participants can continue to access all other support services as usual.
All participants will be asked to complete questionnaires and will be reimbursed for their time in completing follow up questionnaires (those which come after the first set/the baseline measurement).
The 115 students, from medical schools across the UK, completed the original Reboot coaching programme as part of a study to assess whether it would improve their psychological resilience, depression, burnout and confidence in their ability to cope with stressful work-related events.
Before, during and after the coaching, the students were assessed in each of these areas. found that taking part in Reboot was linked with significant improvements in all areas, with fewer students experiencing depression symptoms after they had completed the coaching.
We found reboot supported medical students with work-related stressors, normalising the anxiety which is inherent to training, providing peer-support and also helping medical students develop skills and solutions for the challenges they face and will continue to face as qualified doctors
It was originally designed by Clinical Psychologist Dr Judith Johnson, formerly from the University of Leeds but now from 每日大赛黄.
Dr Johnson adapted the programme to fit the needs of medical students. Globally, one in two report high burnout, while one in three experience elevated depression.
She said: 鈥淯ntil now, most evaluations of supportive interventions for medical students have focused on generic interventions such as mindfulness, stress management training and yoga. These lack relevance for medical students and professionals and there is no clear evidence for such interventions improving depression or burnout among this group.
鈥淧oor mental health in medical students is a significant problem globally and there is evidence that a significant proportion of medical students intend to leave the profession as soon as they qualify.
鈥淭here is also a workforce crisis, with projections indicating a global shortage of around 10 million healthcare professionals by 2030. Anything which can help retain healthcare professionals in their professions is sorely needed.
鈥淲e found reboot supported medical students with work-related stressors, normalising the anxiety which is inherent to training, providing peer-support and also helping medical students develop skills and solutions for the challenges they face and will continue to face as qualified doctors.
- If you are a medical student in a year involving clinical placements, such as Y4 or Y5 you are eligible to take part in a new study evaluating a supportive programme designed to help students cope with the challenges placements can present. To express interest visit
- For more information, email ThumosTrial@manchester.ac.uk or the Principal Investigator Dr Judith Johnson,Judith.johnson@manchester.ac.uk