Making Meaning to Combat Workplace Burnout Program, Radiation Oncology Psychological Support (ROPeS)

Abstract:
Background: Burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced sense of personal accomplishment, impacts a significant amount of healthcare professionals. Radiation oncology teams have been notably impacted by not only burnout, but also demoralization and moral distress, amidst the challenging landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic and the complex nature of their cases. Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy, originally developed in psycho-oncology to help patients with cancer enhance their sense of meaning, has been found to improve demoralization and shows promise for a broader application. Consultation-Liaison psychiatrists can play a valuable role in reducing hospital staff burnout, as part of their liaison function in the hospital and offer a promising avenue to develop interventions. To our knowledge, there remains a gap in exploring meaning-centered psychotherapy-based interventions tailored for healthcare workers to promote wellbeing and prevent burnout.


Objective: We aimed to develop a novel, group-based, in-person program adapted from meaning-centered psychotherapy and skill-based techniques specifically tailored for multidisciplinary radiation oncology teams to mitigate burnout.


Method: Two groups of participants engaged in a course of 6 sessions each an hour long over 12 weeks. The sessions were moderated by a consultation-liaison psychiatrist. The program, voluntary and confidential, integrated elements of meaning-centered psychotherapy alongside practical strategies addressing the unique challenges faced by radiation oncology professionals. Feasibility and acceptability were evaluated through completion rates and post-program utility ratings, while impact was assessed by changes in Maslach Burnout Inventory scores from baseline to 12 weeks and follow-up at 18 weeks.

Results: A total of two cohorts completed the program. The first group was done from February to April 2023. The second group started the program in March of 2024 and will complete the program in May of 2024.

Conclusion/Implications: This study is currently in progress and the discussion and conclusions will be presented at the ACLP 2024 annual meeting.