ArticleJournal of general internal medicine2020
"I Wish They Had Asked": a Qualitative Study of Emotional Distress and Peer Support During Internship.
Article in Journal of general internal medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 48 citations in OpenAlex.
- Resident Physicians' Work-Related Emotional Experiences: A Scoping Review of Qualitative Research.Journal of general internal medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Construction and implementation of a death education program for nursing interns: an action research study.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Resident-Led Peer Support Groups in Emergency Medicine: A Pilot Framework for Peer Leader Training.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Impact of a Multi-site Peer-led, Storytelling-based Workshop to Teach Resident Physicians About Healing After Medical Errors.Journal of general internal medicine · 2025Article
- The Art, Science, and Study of "Senioring": A Narrative Review on the Role of the Supervising Resident.Journal of graduate medical education · 2025Review
- Support for the Struggling Learner in Urology.Current urology reports · 2025Review
- A wellbeing podcast for diagnostic radiography students.Journal of medical radiation sciences · 2024Article
- Resident worklife and wellness through the late phase of the pandemic: a mixed methods national survey study.BMC medical education · 2024Article
- Implementation of a Near-Peer Support Program to Improve Trainee Well-Being after Patient Safety Events.ATS scholar · 2023Article
- Effect of problem-based learning tutor seniority on medical students' emotions: an equivalence study.BMC medical education · 2023Article
- Responsibilities of Internal Medicine Chief Residents in the Modern Era: A National Survey.ATS scholar · 2023Article
- Let's Talk About it: The Utility of Formalized Support for Medical Residents.International journal of health policy and management · 2023Article
- "Everybody in this room can understand": A qualitative exploration of peer support during residency training.AEM education and training · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInterns are vulnerable to emotional distress and burnout. Little is known about the extent to which interns' well-being can be influenced by peer support provided by their senior residents.
objectiveTo elucidate contributors to interns' emotional distress and ways that peer support from senior residents may impact intern well-being.
designQualitative study using semi-structured interviews conducted December 2017-March 2018.
participantsSecond year residents (n = 11) in internal medicine at a major academic medical center during the data collection period. APPROACH: Constructivist grounded theory approach in which transcripts were analyzed in an iterative fashion using constant comparison to identify themes and to create a conceptual model. KEY
resultsThe investigators identified three themes around emotional distress and two themes around resident peer support. Distress was a pervasive experience among participants, caused by a combination of contextual factors that decreased emotional resilience (e.g., sleep deprivation) and acute triggers (e.g., patient death) that led to an abrupt increase in distress. Participants grappled with identity reconciliation throughout internship. Reaching clinical competency reinforced self-efficacy for participants. With regard to peer support, participants recalled that resident support was ad hoc, primarily involving task support and debriefing traumatic events. Participants reflected that their intern experiences shaped their supervisory support style once they became senior residents; they did not perceive any formalized, systematic approach to supporting interns.
conclusionsWe propose a model illustrating key points at which near-peers can make an impact in reducing interns' distress and suggest strategies they can use. Given the substantial role peer learning plays in intern development, senior residents can impact their interns by normalizing emotions, allowing vulnerability, and highlighting the importance of self-care. A formalized peer support skill-building curriculum for senior residents may empower them to provide more effective support as part of their supervisory efforts.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.