Impact of online Balint groups on the standardized training of psychiatry residents in communication and empathy
Liu Yan
Wang Zhanqiang
Dong Hanwen
Cui Jian
Li Jiuju
Yang Qingyan
Niu Yajuan
Abstract：Objective To explore the effect of online Balint groups on clinical communication skills and empathy of psychiatric residents.Methods 53 psychiatric residents in Huilongguan Hospital of Beijing were randomly divided into two groups:observation group(n=26)and control group(n=27).The observation group conducted online Balint group training,while the control group conducted regular Balint group training.The training content,time and frequency of the two groups were the same.Before and after the training,the residents'clinical communication ability,empathy ability and resilience were assessed with the clinical communication ability scale,interpersonal response indicator scale and resilience scale.Results Before training,there was significant difference between the observation group and the control group only in the individual pain sub-scale of interpersonal response pointer scale(P<0.05),and there were no significant differences among other sub-scales or scales(P>0.05).After training,there were no significant differences in all scales and sub-scales(all P>0.05).There were significant differences between before training and after training in the total score of the clinical communication ability scale,the establishment of harmonious relationship,confirmation of patients'problems,acute listening,participation,total score of interpersonal response pointer scale,empathy,personal pain,fantasy empathy and the total score of the psychological resilience scale(P<0.05).There was no significant difference between the scores of the clinical communication ability scale and the validated perception scale(P>0.05).Conclusion The online Balint group can improve the clinical communication ability,empathy ability and psychological resilience of psychiatric residents,which is equivalent to the effect of the regular Balint group.It could serve as an alternative to the regular Balint group when conditions are limited.
Keywords：Balint groupstandardized trainingpsychiatriccommunicationempathy
Publication Date：2024-10-20
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 736-740 )