title: Evaluation of self-care skills training and solution-focused counselling for health professionals in psychiatric medicine: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this pilot study was to implement and to evaluate a self-care skills training with solution-focused counselling to support psychiatrists in handling their daily work challenges.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 72 psychiatrists working in a psychiatric clinic were randomised in a single-blind trial to either an intervention group or a control group. Outcomes were measured at baseline and at the end of the training (follow-up 1: after 3 months; follow-up 2: after 6 months). A validated questionnaire including the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, Brief Resilient Coping Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale and the Quality of Relationship Inventory was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Psychiatrists in the intervention group reached a significant reduction in perceived job stress (p = 0.01, d = 0.05), improvements in job satisfaction (p = 0.02, d = 0.04), resilience (p = 0.02, d = 0.04) and self-efficacy (p = 0.04, d = 0.02) from baseline to all follow-ups with no comparable results seen in the control group. Psychiatrists stated an improved quality of physician-patient relationship (e.g. support, conflict management; p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A self-care skills training, including solution-focused counselling, for psychiatrists was associated with significant improvements in perceived stress, job satisfaction, individual protective skills and quality of relationship to patients. This training is suitable to implement as a group training program for psychiatrists.
authors.affiliation: a Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg , Germany ;|b Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine , Goethe-University , Frankfurt Am Main , Germany ;
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mache
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Occupational Medicine , Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Free University and Humboldt University , Berlin , Germany.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernburg
authors.affiliation: c Institute of Occupational Medicine , Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Free University and Humboldt University , Berlin , Germany.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baresi
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine , Goethe-University , Frankfurt Am Main , Germany ;
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Groneberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011570:Psychiatry; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Job satisfaction; job strain; mental health; resilience; self-care; stress management