The effect of Balint training on the psychological skills of residents beyond family medicine residency

Abstract

Background: Engaging with the psychological well-being of patients is central to patient care. The empathy and psychological skills of practitioners may be enhanced by Balint training during the residency years. However, there is scarce evidence concerning the outcomes of Balint training beyond graduation. Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the psychological skills of practising family medicine graduates who had received Balint training during their residency compared to the skills of those who did not. Design: Cross-sectional, mixed-methods study. Setting: Family medicine graduates at the American University of Beirut. Methods: A telephone-based interview or an online-based questionnaire was used to survey family medicine graduates between 2007 and 2018. Those who graduated between 2012 and 2018 had received Balint training, whereas the remainder had not. Psychological skills and abilities were measured using an 11-item Psychological Medicine Inventory (PMI) questionnaire. Results: Thirty-seven family medicine graduates participated in the study, with a response rate of 69.8%. There was no difference in the PMI item scores between those who received Balint training as compared to those who did not. In response to an open-ended question, participants emphasised the importance of Balint seminars in improving their communication abilities, dealing with ‘difficult’ patients, finding blind spots and developing the doctor–patient relationship. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three components that explained 80.6% of the total variance. None of these components was associated with Balint training. Conclusion: Although PMI scores did not differ between those who received Balint and those who did not, Balint training may improve family medicine graduates’ confidence to engage with the psychological problems of patients beyond residency based on the statements made by the practising graduates.