Experiences from a Balint group intervention with urban public school teachers.

Background: U.S. teacher shortages have more than tripled since the 2012-2013 school year, to over 110 000 teachers needed in 2016. At the conclusion of the 2011-12 school year, 13.8% of public-school teachers left their position. Approximately 50% of the public-school teachers cited the inability to manage their roles as the primary factor for leaving. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of participation in a 6-month Balint group experience on a novice teacher's self-efficacy, experience with burnout, and intentions to persist in the classroom. Research Design: A converged mixed-methods approach was used. Each question was explored with a corresponding qualitative and a quantitative dataset. Data Collection: Qualitative data included (a) a semi-structured focus group; (b) field notes shared from the co-facilitator and Balint group leader; (c) semi-structured debriefs with the Balint group leaders; (d) open-ended questions on the pre and post-test reflection forms, and (e) semi-structured interviews with 3 participants that served as a form of member checking. Quantitative data included pre and post-test and monthly reflection forms that were collected at the conclusion of each meeting. Teacher's self-efficacy, experience with burnout, and intentions to persist in the classroom. Study Sample: Eight teachers volunteered for the group after an email solicitation to all the teacher development program's members. Results: This article examines sources of stress for new teachers, themes that came up in the Balint group that reflect the stress and its impact, and changes in felt burnout, self-efficacy, an intent to persist in teaching. Teachers faced similar stressors to professionals in the medical field. Conclusion: Balint offers an opportunity to addres the social and emotional needs teachers face.

Experiences from a Balint Group Intervention with Urban Public School Teachers.

U.S. teacher shortages have more than tripled since the 2012-2013 school year, to over 110,000 teachers needed in 2016.1 At the conclusion of the 2011-12 school year, 13.8% of public-school teachers left their position.2 Approximately 50% of the public-school teachers cited the inability to manage their roles as the primary factor for leaving.2 The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of participation in a 6-month Balint group experience on a novice teacher's self-efficacy, experience with burnout, and intentions to persist in the classroom. A converged mixed-methods approach was used. Each question was explored with a corresponding qualitative and a quantitative dataset. Qualitative data included (a) a semi-structured focus group; (b) field notes shared from the co-facilitator and Balint group leader; (c) semi-structured debriefs with the Balint group leaders; (d) open-ended questions on the pre and post-test reflection forms, and (e) semi-structured interviews with three participants that served as a form of member checking. Quantitative data included pre and post-test and monthly reflection forms that were collected at the conclusion of each meeting. teacher's self-efficacy, experience with burnout, and intentions to persist in the classroom. Eight teachers volunteered for the group after an email solicitation to all the teacher development program's members. This article examines sources of stress for new teachers, themes that came up in the Balint group that reflect the stress and its impact, and changes in felt burnout, self-efficacy, an intent to persist in teaching.

The balint method online: Past, pandemic and future.

The Balint Method has been used worldwide since Michael and Enid Balint developed it in the 1950s. Even with the proliferation of Balint groups there were still doctors and other clinicians who did not have local access. The online format was developed to provide Balint groups to those individuals. With the pandemic the majority of clinicians were unable to get together in person. The online format provided a lifeline for Balint work. This article provides a short history of the development of Balint online, how the pandemic affected further development, and a summary of what was learned from that experience.

Balint 2.0: A virtual Balint group for doctors around the world.

Objective Balint groups have shown promise in addressing clinician-patient relationships, clinician burnout, referral practices, and psychological mindedness. However, their traditional format of in-person sessions limits their ability to meet the needs of clinicians practicing in locations without trained Balint leaders. We report on a pilot of an international, internet-based Balint group in collaboration between the World Organization of Family Doctors regional Young Doctors Movements and the International Balint Federation. Method Balint 2.0 arose through interest of the Young Doctors Movements leadership, who approached the International Balint Federation for assistance. Initial discussions and some trialing of videoconference platforms led to monthly group meetings over the internet. Surveys evaluated each individual session as well as quarterly progress of the group. Survey items were borrowed from existing surveys in use by the American and German Balint Societies. Results Session surveys demonstrated the effectiveness of the videoconferencing platform for convening a Balint group, with a majority of participants expressing agreement with survey items evaluating each session. Quarterly survey responses were more positive reflecting agreement with outcomes seen from in-person Balint groups. Conclusions The Balint 2.0 pilot has demonstrated the ability of a Balint group to successfully convene over the internet and reach the common outcomes of a Balint group meeting in-person. The Young Doctors Movements and International Balint Federation plan to expand this work based on this successful pilot. We hope that others may also be able to build on this success with the result that Balint groups are available to clinicians in areas where they might not otherwise be accessible.

Mapping the Balint groups to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education family medicine competencies.

Introduction Balint group discussions provide learning opportunities for many of the competencies and milestones put forward by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The current literature is mixed concerning the effect of Balint groups on communication skills and professionalism. Aim To map the content of the Balint discussion to the competencies and milestones put forward by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. METHODOLOGY: A group who were both experts in Balint and members of the clinical competency committee of residency programs rated narratives that summarized Balint group discussions. Credentialed Leaders of the American Balint Society were invited via email to submit narratives (250 words) about Balint groups that they have led, or were leading, with residents. Results Only four narratives were submitted. Additional cases were recruited through literature review of published Balint discussion cases. A total of 25 cases were rated by the committee. There was agreement between three out of four raters on at least one core milestone in every case. The most frequent milestones were C1 (develops meaningful therapeutic relationships with patients and families), C2 (communicated effectively with patients, families, and public), Prof1 (completes a process of professionalization), and Prof3 (demonstrates humanism and cultural proficiency). Balint groups provided a learning opportunity for a subset of milestones in at least 36% of the cases. Conclusion This pilot research suggests that Balint groups and the discussions of complex and challenging cases provide learning opportunities for multiple family medicine milestones, mainly communication skills and professionalism. Further research is needed to refine the methodology and the rating system.

Building with Balint: A conference that connected generations.

The American Balint Society held its First National Meeting in Estes Park Colorado in July 2014. The meeting brought together multiple generations of physicians and behavioral scientists interested in promoting Balint work in the United States. This article will provide an overview of the Balint method and its importance in medicine, a brief history of the American Balint Society, and the various elements of the First National Meeting.