A systematic review of interventions aiming to improve newly-qualified doctors' wellbeing in the United Kingdom.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to systematically review interventions, including mindfulness, that improved the wellbeing of newly-qualified junior doctors in the UK.
Results Summary
The review found that mindfulness interventions, among others, were beneficial in improving junior doctor wellbeing and reducing anxiety and stress levels, though most studies had small sample sizes.
Population
Newly-qualified junior doctors in the UK within their first five years post-qualification.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mentorship | increase | wellbeing | newly-qualified junior doctors in the United Kingdom | - | positive result | #1 |
mindfulness | increase | wellbeing | newly-qualified junior doctors in the United Kingdom | - | positive result | #2 |
clinical preparation interventions | increase | wellbeing | newly-qualified junior doctors in the United Kingdom | - | positive result | #3 |
mentorship | decrease | anxiety levels | newly-qualified junior doctors in the United Kingdom | - | beneficial in improving | #4 |
mindfulness | decrease | anxiety levels | newly-qualified junior doctors in the United Kingdom | - | beneficial in improving | #5 |
clinical preparation interventions | decrease | anxiety levels | newly-qualified junior doctors in the United Kingdom | - | beneficial in improving | #6 |
mentorship | decrease | stress levels | newly-qualified junior doctors in the United Kingdom | - | beneficial in improving | #7 |
mindfulness | decrease | stress levels | newly-qualified junior doctors in the United Kingdom | - | beneficial in improving | #8 |
clinical preparation interventions | decrease | stress levels | newly-qualified junior doctors in the United Kingdom | - | beneficial in improving | #9 |
BACKGROUND: Newly-qualified doctors in the United Kingdom experience a great deal of stress and have poor wellbeing when compared to more senior counterparts. A number of interventions have been put in place to boost healthcare professionals' wellbeing, but little is known about interventions aimed to improve the wellbeing of newly-qualified doctors in the United Kingdom. This study aims to systematically review current evidence of interventions which improved the wellbeing of newly-qualified junior doctors in the United Kingdom. METHODS: Five key electronic databases were searched. Subsequently, reference scanning and citation search was performed. Studies were included if they were conducted from the commencement of the Foundation Programme in 2004, until 2019. In addition, studies had to be performed on junior doctors: working in the United Kingdom and within their first five years post-qualification and have a quantitative outcome. Studies which did not meet these criteria were excluded. Quality was assessed using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Bias was not formally assessed using a standardised tool. RESULTS: Seven papers met the inclusion criteria and identified three main types of interventions: mentorship, mindfulness and clinical preparation interventions. The majority of included studies reported a positive result from the performed intervention, suggesting these to be beneficial in improving junior doctor wellbeing, and thereby reducing anxiety and stress levels. However, most of the studies used small sample sizes. CONCLUSIONS: This review reveals that there is dearth of evidence on the effectiveness of intervention to improve the wellbeing of newly-qualified doctors in the United Kingdom. Most of the identified interventions focused on relieving stress and anxiety inherent within newly-qualified doctors' training programmes. However, wellbeing interventions need to take into cognisance all the factors which impact on wellbeing, particularly job-related factors. We recommend that future researchers implement large-scale holistic interventions using appropriate research methods. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42019127341.