A randomized controlled trial of well-being therapy to promote adaptation and alleviate emotional distress among medical freshmen

Abstract Background Maladjustment and emotional distress are extremely prevalent among first-year medical students in college and are associated with numerous negative consequences for medical freshmen, their families and universities. The current research aimed to detect the efficacy of a well-bein...

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Main Authors: Yuan-Yuan Xu, Tong Wu, Yong-Ju Yu, Min Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2019-06-01
Series:BMC Medical Education
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-019-1616-9
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spelling doaj-b2d2c7faf18e41c48ff43f5ca42fe3962020-11-25T03:23:27ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202019-06-0119111010.1186/s12909-019-1616-9A randomized controlled trial of well-being therapy to promote adaptation and alleviate emotional distress among medical freshmenYuan-Yuan Xu0Tong Wu1Yong-Ju Yu2Min Li3Department of Military Psychology, College of Psychology, Third Military Medical UniversityDepartment of Military Psychology, College of Psychology, Third Military Medical UniversityDepartment of Military Psychology, College of Psychology, Third Military Medical UniversityDepartment of Military Psychology, College of Psychology, Third Military Medical UniversityAbstract Background Maladjustment and emotional distress are extremely prevalent among first-year medical students in college and are associated with numerous negative consequences for medical freshmen, their families and universities. The current research aimed to detect the efficacy of a well-being therapy in promoting adaptation to college life and alleviating emotional distress among medical freshmen. Methods One hundred one participants who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Well-being therapy was given to the intervention group weekly for 5 weeks (WBT, n = 50). At the same time, students in the placebo control condition (CC, n = 51) were required to record early memory for 5 weeks and at weekly meetings it would be shared voluntarily. Psychological well-being, adaptation, anxiety and depression were recorded at pretest, posttest, and at three-month follow-up. Data from 87 first-year students with complete follow-ups (WBT, n = 39; CC, n = 48) were analyzed over three time periods. Results Compared with the control group, students undergoing the 5-week well-being therapy reported larger improvements in psychological well-being and adaptation, and greater alleviation in symptoms of anxiety and depression from pretest to posttest to follow-up. Conclusions Well-being intervention may provide first-year medical students with skills to efficiently manage maladjustment and emotional distress. It seems that medical freshmen would benefit a lot when such an intervention programme could be incorporated into the general medical education. Trial registration number ChiCTR-ROC-17012636. Registered 11 September 2017 (Retrospectively registered) at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-019-1616-9Psychological well-beingAdaptationDepressionAnxietyFirst year medical students
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Yuan-Yuan Xu
Tong Wu
Yong-Ju Yu
Min Li
spellingShingle Yuan-Yuan Xu
Tong Wu
Yong-Ju Yu
Min Li
A randomized controlled trial of well-being therapy to promote adaptation and alleviate emotional distress among medical freshmen
BMC Medical Education
Psychological well-being
Adaptation
Depression
Anxiety
First year medical students
author_facet Yuan-Yuan Xu
Tong Wu
Yong-Ju Yu
Min Li
author_sort Yuan-Yuan Xu
title A randomized controlled trial of well-being therapy to promote adaptation and alleviate emotional distress among medical freshmen
title_short A randomized controlled trial of well-being therapy to promote adaptation and alleviate emotional distress among medical freshmen
title_full A randomized controlled trial of well-being therapy to promote adaptation and alleviate emotional distress among medical freshmen
title_fullStr A randomized controlled trial of well-being therapy to promote adaptation and alleviate emotional distress among medical freshmen
title_full_unstemmed A randomized controlled trial of well-being therapy to promote adaptation and alleviate emotional distress among medical freshmen
title_sort randomized controlled trial of well-being therapy to promote adaptation and alleviate emotional distress among medical freshmen
publisher BMC
series BMC Medical Education
issn 1472-6920
publishDate 2019-06-01
description Abstract Background Maladjustment and emotional distress are extremely prevalent among first-year medical students in college and are associated with numerous negative consequences for medical freshmen, their families and universities. The current research aimed to detect the efficacy of a well-being therapy in promoting adaptation to college life and alleviating emotional distress among medical freshmen. Methods One hundred one participants who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Well-being therapy was given to the intervention group weekly for 5 weeks (WBT, n = 50). At the same time, students in the placebo control condition (CC, n = 51) were required to record early memory for 5 weeks and at weekly meetings it would be shared voluntarily. Psychological well-being, adaptation, anxiety and depression were recorded at pretest, posttest, and at three-month follow-up. Data from 87 first-year students with complete follow-ups (WBT, n = 39; CC, n = 48) were analyzed over three time periods. Results Compared with the control group, students undergoing the 5-week well-being therapy reported larger improvements in psychological well-being and adaptation, and greater alleviation in symptoms of anxiety and depression from pretest to posttest to follow-up. Conclusions Well-being intervention may provide first-year medical students with skills to efficiently manage maladjustment and emotional distress. It seems that medical freshmen would benefit a lot when such an intervention programme could be incorporated into the general medical education. Trial registration number ChiCTR-ROC-17012636. Registered 11 September 2017 (Retrospectively registered) at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry.
topic Psychological well-being
Adaptation
Depression
Anxiety
First year medical students
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-019-1616-9
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