Abstract
Aims and MethodWe describe the Balint case discussion group method and how it can be applied to training psychiatrists. In a group that we ran, the performance of members on a clinical task before and after a year in the group was investigated. Written responses to a case vignette were appraised blindly by psychotherapists who were also examiners for the Royal College of Psychiatrists.ResultsThere were eight members in the Balint group, which met weekly for one year. We found that members' performance on the clinical task improved significantly following the year spent in the Balint group.Clinical ImplicationsA Balint group, as part of an introduction to psychotherapy for psychiatrists, may represent a step towards achieving comprehensive training that is relevant to ordinary clinical practice.
Highlights
Performance on the clinical vignette task significantly improved following the year spent in the Balint group
We have described the application of Michael Balint’s case discussion group technique to psychiatric training and have attempted to evaluate the possible effect of participation in a Balint group on trainees’ clinical skills
We made several observations during the group’s year together that may be of interest to others considering holding a Balint group for trainee psychiatrists
Summary
The groupWe constituted and ran a weekly Balint group according to the recommendations of the Council of the British Balint Society (1994). We co-led the group and all members were psychiatric SHOs. The group was held weekly in the same room, at the same time and with a fixed duration (75 minutes). Prior to the first substantive meeting of the group, we held a business meeting in order to clarify these administrative matters, which are often a new concept to SHOs. At each meeting, one member was required to present a patient case that they were involved with. The coleaders led the discussion in such a way as to focus on aspects of the doctor-patient relationship, and to encourage speculation (and wondering) rather than further information gathering. In the last 5 minutes of each meeting, the presenting doctor was allowed to re-join the discussion and state how the themes raised might relate to the case presented
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