A Peer-led Intervention for Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing in Medical Students

A Peer-led Intervention for Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing in Medical Students

A Peer-led Intervention for Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing in Medical Students (75)

Fiona Moir ¹ , C Raina Elley ¹

University of Auckland, Glen Innes, Auckland, NZ, New Zealand

Interventions to improve mental health and stress resistance in medical students are needed. A Systematic Review conducted by the author found good evidence for the effectiveness of peer-led interventions for improving mental health amongst students. Therefore, a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a peer-led intervention to improve mental health and wellbeing in medical students.

The Peer Intervention RCT was a 2-arm trial conducted over 6 months with medical students. Peer leaders, selected by students, were trained to lead the intervention of peer-support and peer-taught mindfulness. Students were randomised to intervention or control. Outcome measures included depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), quality of life (LASA), resilience (15 item RS), academic self-concept (PCL) and motivation to learn (MSLQ).

In total, 275 students were randomised (53% female, mean age 21) and 232 completed 6-months follow-up. There was a wide range of mental health scores at baseline. At 6-month follow-up, there was a trend towards improved mental health scores in the intervention group compared with control but no differences reached statistical significance. There was some evidence of contamination of intervention.

The level of evidence for peer-led interventions in students to improve mental health and wellbeing is promising but higher quality trials are needed, powered to detect likely change allowing for wide variation in mental health profiles. A cluster design is recommended. Peers are capable of delivering effective interventions and peer-led approaches are acceptable. The challenges of conducting a RCT in this area will be discussed.

Authors contributing to this abstract.

Moir, F

Dr Fiona Moir – MBChB, MRCGP Fiona trained in the UK at Sheffield University, and went on to work as a GP in Britain and New Zealand. She is a Senior Lecturer in The Department of General Practice and in the Medical Programme Directorate at The University of Auckland, teaching both post-graduate and undergraduate students, where she specializes in Communication Skills, Mental Health and Student and Practitioner Wellbeing. She is also the co-head of the Personal and Professional Skills Domain for the whole medical programme, Lead for The Health and Wellbeing curriculum at the medical school in Auckland, and has a role providing pastoral care to medical students. As a partner in Connect Communications, a business teaching communication skills to health professionals, she is involved in teaching doctors, nurses and pharmacists around the country. In 2008, she was one of the co-authors of the CALM website, a resource for stress management and happiness, which was originally made available to students and then later released to the public. Her interests are: the health of health professionals; early interventions for stress, anxiety and depression; self-care, and communication skills. She has just passed her doctoral examination with a PhD topic about medical student wellbeing.

A Peer-led Intervention for Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing in Medical Students (75)

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Moir, F

Elley, C.R

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