Study provides evidence that peer-support groups can be beneficial in reducing healthcare worker stress and burnout

Newswise — INDIANAPOLIS – Emergency department (ED) physicians have been hailed as true heroes in the grueling fight against the coronavirus, as they tirelessly worked long and stressful hours at great personal risk on the front lines of the pandemic, particularly in the period before vaccines were developed. A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility, receptiveness, and initial effectiveness of peer-support groups for ED doctors during COVID-19. The study revealed that this support could potentially reduce the mental health pressures associated with emergency care during this challenging time.

In the study, the researchers evaluated the impact of virtual, group-based peer support on distress, depression, and burnout symptoms among ED physicians. The participants underwent the support sessions for eight weeks, and the researchers compared their symptoms before and after the program. Historically, physicians have shown low interest in mental health resources; however, in this study, 86 percent of the participating doctors reported that they would recommend peer support groups to their friends or colleagues.

“Emergency departments have always been high stress environments and COVID at least doubled the stress,” said study co-author and national leader in the study of medical symptoms Kurt Kroenke, M.D., of the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine. “Stress on the job can lead to burnout and other negative consequences. It's an important question as to how we can help our healthcare workers under high stress conditions like COVID.”

The pilot study reported a trend toward reduction of psychologic distress and burnout symptoms associated with working in emergency care when physicians came together virtually in peer support groups.

According to Dr. Kroenke, the fact that ED physicians were open to and benefited from peer-support groups could have implications for other clinicians working in the ED or other high-stress medical settings such as intensive care units. The doctors in the study only attended a few group sessions, making this a low-cost intervention that healthcare systems could implement. Dr. Kroenke believes that even as the pandemic winds down, this type of support could be helpful for healthcare workers facing stressful situations in general.

The pilot study involved administering short versions of depression and anxiety screening tools, which were co-developed by Dr. Kroenke, as well as burnout measurement screeners to the ED physicians. The responses were analyzed, and the results showed a trend toward decreased symptoms of distress, depression, and burnout among the participants.

In conclusion, the study authors highlight the promising results of the pilot study and suggest that further research is needed to establish the effectiveness of peer support for physicians. They suggest conducting studies with larger sample sizes and more robust research designs to establish a stronger evidence base for peer support in the physician population. The authors acknowledge that the initial findings suggest that peer support may be a helpful intervention for physicians experiencing distress, anxiety, depression, and burnout symptoms, but more research is needed to fully establish its efficacy.

The study, titled "The use of peer support groups for emergency physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic," was published in the Journal of the American College of Emergency Medicine Open. The research was supported by a grant awarded to the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

Authors and affiliations

Jill Nault Connors, PhD¹

Tanner Thornsberry, B.S., M.S.¹

Julie Hayden, B.S.²

Kurt Kroenke, M.D.^3,4

Patrick O. Monahan, PhD⁵

Claire Draucker, PhD, R.N.⁶

Sally Wasmuth, PhD, OTR⁷

Heather Kelker, M.D.⁸

Anne Whitehead, M.D.⁸

Julie Welch, M.D.⁸

1 Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

2 National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Indianapolis, Inc, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

3 Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

4 Regenstrief Institute, Inc, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

5 Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

6 Indiana University School of Nursing, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

7 School of Health & Human Sciences, IndianaUniversity-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

8 Department of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

About Kurt Kroenke, M.D.

In addition to his role as a research scientist at Regenstrief Institute, Kurt Kroenke, M.D., is director of the Master of Science in Clinical Research program and a professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine.

About Regenstrief Institute  

Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief and its research scientists are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe. 

Sam Regenstrief, a nationally successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute’s research mission. 

About IU School of Medicine  

IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability.