Helping distressed patients. A strategy for reducing the doctor's anxiety.
OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to test whether belonging to a counselling supervision group reduces the anxiety of doctors when dealing with emotionally distressed patients. METHOD: Identical questionnaires were distributed to the counselling supervision group (the study group) and a matched control group in March and August 1997. Respondents were asked to rate their perceived level of anxiety when faced with nine clinical scenarios and their overall anxiety when dealing with emotionally distressed patients. The results were then compared. RESULTS: The study group showed generally higher levels of anxiety than controls in the first questionnaire. There was a shift to lower reported levels of anxiety in the study group at the end of the supervision process. No similar change was observed in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Although sample size was too small to apply tests of statistical significance, it would appear that belonging to a counselling supervision group may reduce the anxiety of doctors dealing with emotionally distressed patients.