Balint Group Work and Final Conclusions

2015 ◽  
pp. 198-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hubert Speidel
Keyword(s):  
Group Work ◽  
Balint Group

scholarly journals Online Balint Group Work Versus Pharmacotherapy in Treatment of Coronavirus Anxiety in Healthcare Workers in Iran: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
najmeh shahini ◽  
shakiba gholamzad ◽  
zanireh salimi ◽  
Mansoureh Kiani Dehkordi ◽  
Saeedeh Hajebi Khaniki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Work ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Period ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Resilience Scale ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Balint Group ◽  
Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Background: An increase in symptoms of anxiety is already being reported in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.Objectives: We aimed to compare the effectiveness of Balint group work with pharmacotherapy in coronavirus related anxiety among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Iran.Methods: In This pilot clinical trial, after passing a phone screening procedure by a psychiatrist, subjects were quasi-randomly assigned to Balint (8 sixty-minute online sessions) or pharmacotherapy (Sertraline) groups. Both groups were asked to fill two questionnaires, including the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS) and Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC), at the beginning and the end of the 4-week intervention period.Results: A total of 45 HCWs enrolled in this study. The results showed a significant difference between the post-test and pre-test scores of both groups in the total scores of anxiety and its subcomponents (p≤0.001). There was no significant difference between the effectiveness of the two interventions on anxiety (p=0.52). Both interventions had a significant effect on the subjects' resilience and its subscales (p≤0.05) except for positive acceptance change. The spiritual influences domain had a significantly higher increase in the pharmacotherapy group (P=0.031).Conclusions: We showed Balint group work maybe can better to pharmacotherapy with Sertraline in management of COVID-19 related anxiety and boosting resilience in healthcare workers.

scholarly journals Storytelling and poetry in the time of coronavirus

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 278-282
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Barrett ◽  
Melissa Dickson ◽  
Clare Hayes-Brady ◽  
Harriet Wheelock
Keyword(s):  
Group Work ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
National Study ◽  
Patient History ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Hospital Doctors ◽  
Balint Group

The coronavirus crisis occurs at a time when many clinicians have already experienced burnout. One in three Irish doctors were suffering from burnout in the 2019 National Study of Wellbeing of Hospital Doctors in Ireland; rates are also high in Irish Psychiatry. We present a perspective on the use of narrative in medicine and recognise that storytelling, and the patient history are very much at the heart of medicine. Clinician storytelling, such as Schwartz Rounds and Balint group work, has very much come to the fore in Irish Psychiatry and in training. Projects such as MindReading have explored overlaps between clinicians, humanities experts and experts by experience. We give an overview of some approaches from the movement around narrative in medicine to bolster this. We explore why clinicians write as ways to support identification, catharsis and a way to process experiences. Clinicians and patients may also use literature and poetry to promote coping. The historical context and practical strategies are highlighted, particularly with reference to poetry use during the current crisis.

The Effects of the Balint Group on its Members and Leader

1972 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Konrad Knoepfel
Keyword(s):  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Family Doctor ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Considerable Saving ◽  
The Family ◽  
Heavy Burden ◽  
Balint Group ◽  
Group Experience

Balint's work promotes better psychological and medical treatment of many so-called “problem patients.” With understanding, these patients often lose the characteristic of being a heavy burden and even become interesting and gratifying. Time invested at the beginning phase of treatment often brings considerable saving of time over extended periods. The doctor's need for intensive involvement diminishes and psychological emergencies become less frequent. Balint helped to make these goals possible by teaching psychoanalytic principles in a simple way, talking in clear, comprehensible language and creating for physicians the possibility for emotional experience and growth through group work. Such experience is indispensable for the training of the family doctor. This paper summarizes essential elements of the group work, in which the leader profits as well as the family doctor. The leader has to learn to formulate clinical experience in clear, non-technical language which describes how patients are treated in the practice of hospital and office medicine. The group experience, furthermore, helps the physician to develop his capacity for empathy by better understanding himself.

scholarly journals Becoming the kind of doctor that you want to be. A qualitative study about participation in Balint group work

2021 ◽  
pp. 009121742110429
Author(s):  
Elsa Lena Ryding ◽  
Anders Birr
Keyword(s):  
Professional Identity ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Wide Spread ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Safe Place ◽  
Balint Groups ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Balint Group ◽  
Patient Relationships

Objective Although wide-spread and appreciated, the benefit of Balint group work has been difficult to determine. Qualitative studies provide new angles for research. The aim of this study is to explore how participants in a Balint group for at least 1.5 years experienced the group work and how they were affected by their participation. Method Focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 19 members of four different Balint groups. The participants were experienced residents or younger specialists in general practice as well as from hospital specialities. A thematic analysis was performed. Results The main themes that emerged were: Investigating emotions, Development of the physician’s identity as well as Safety in the group and with the leader. The participants reported relief from stress as well as increased ability to understand the emotional side of patient encounters. They struggled to find their identity as doctors and specialists, often gaining a sense of pride in their work and becoming more secure. The group with a certified Balint leader felt like a safe place. Conclusions For younger doctors, participation in a Balint group for at least 1.5 years can help them build their professional identity by means of a deeper understanding of doctor-patient relationships. The role of Balint group work in relation to professional identity warrants further study.

Reading Balint group work through Lacan’s theory of the four discourses

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaatje Van Roy ◽  
Anne Marché-Paillé ◽  
Filip Geerardyn ◽  
Stijn Vanheule
Keyword(s):  
Group Work ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Medical Professionals ◽  
Group Leaders ◽  
Balint Groups ◽  
Case Presentations ◽  
Balint Group ◽  
Four Discourses ◽  
Work First

In Balint groups, (para)medical professionals explore difficult interactions with patients by means of case presentations and discussions. As the process of Balint group work is not well understood, this article investigates Balint group meetings by making use of Lacan’s theory of the four discourses. Five Balint group case presentations and their subsequent group discussion were studied, resulting in the observation of five crucial aspects of Balint group work. First, Balint group participants brought puzzlement to the group, which is indicative of the structural impossibility Lacan situates at the basis of all discourse (1). As for the group discussion, we emphasize ‘hysterization’ as a crucial process in Balint group work (2), the supporting role of the discourse of the analyst (3) and the centrality of discourse interactions (4). Finally, the potential transformation of the initial puzzlement is discussed (5). We conclude by putting forth the uniqueness of Balint group work as well as the potential usefulness of our analysis as a framework for Balint group leaders and professionals in charge of continuing medical education.

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