Impact of Providing Peer Support on Medical Students’ Empathy, Self-Efficacy, and Mental Health Stigma

Matthew P. Abrams, Joshua Salzman, Andrea Espina Rey and Katherine Daly
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Matthew P. Abrams: College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
Joshua Salzman: College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
Andrea Espina Rey: Focused Inquiry & Research Experience Module Department, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
Katherine Daly: Department of Clinical Sciences and Student Affairs, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-13

Abstract: Background: Peer-support programs in medical school can buffer feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, social isolation, and burnout, drawing upon the benefits of near-peer-support resources. This study examined the effects of providing support to students in a medical school peer-support program. Methods: Using a pre-post, quasi-experimental study design, the investigators surveyed medical students who were peer supporters in their second through fourth years of medical school with four measures assessing (1) empathy, (2) self-efficacy, (3) mental health stigma, and (4) likelihood to assist peers with mental health problems to examine if serving as a volunteer peer supporter had any effect. Participants included 38 medical students that were actively enrolled peer supporters during the 2020–2021 year at a United States allopathic medical school. Results: Medical students who participated as peer supporters were found to have higher ratings of empathy scores (Z = −1.964, p = 0.050, r = 0.34) and self-efficacy scores (Z = −2.060, p = 0.039, r = 0.35) after participation in the program. No significant changes were noted for mental health stigma or likelihood to assist peers with mental health problems. Discussion: Peer-support programs present a low-cost, sustainable modality to promote wellbeing in medical students. There is a growing body of literature documenting the benefits of peer-support services. This brief, novel study examined the effects of providing peer support on the peer supporters and found higher self-reported ratings of empathy and self-efficacy after participation. These findings underscore peer-support programs as a valuable wellness resource not only for medical students who use the services but for those who provide them as well.

Keywords: peer support; medical education; empathy; mental health; stigma (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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