Promoting wellness and stress management in residents through emotional intelligence training

Background: US physicians are experiencing burnout in alarming numbers. However, doctors with high levels of emotional intelligence (El) may be immune to burnout, as they possess coping strategies which make them more resilient and better at managing stress. Educating physicians in El may help prevent burnout and optimize their overall wellness. The purpose of our study was to determine if educational intervention increases the overall El level of residents; specifically, their stress management and wellness scores. Participant and methods: Residents from pediatrics and med-ped residency programs at a university-based training program volunteered to complete an online self-report EI survey (EQ-i 2.0) before and after an educational intervention. The four-hour educational workshop focused on developing four EI skills: self-awareness; self-management; social awareness; and social skills. We compared de-identified median score reports for the residents as a cohort before and after the intervention. Results: Thirty-one residents (20 pediatric and 11 med-ped residents) completed the EI survey at both time intervals and were included in the analysis of results. We saw a significant increase in total El median scores before and after educational intervention (110 vs 114, P=0.004). The stress management composite median score significantly increased (105 vs 111, P<0.001). The resident's overall wellness score also improved significantly (104 vs 111, P=0.003). Conclusions: Asa group, our pediatric and med-pods residents had a significant increase in total El and several other components of El following an educational intervention. Teaching El skills related to the areas of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social skill may improve stress management skills, promote wellness, and prevent burnout in resident physicians.