Resident Physician Perceptions of Wellness Interventions: A Single-Institution Qualitative Study

Introduction Resident physicians are at high risk for burnout and mental health conditions, which negatively impact patient care. In response, many residency programs have implemented wellness initiatives. However, more research is needed on how residents themselves perceive specific interventions. Thus, we qualitatively assessed residents’ perceptions of graduate medical education (GME) administration-sponsored wellness interventions at an academic medical center. Methods Qualitative questions were adapted from a study on perceptions of workplace wellness initiatives and distributed to residents in May-June of 2024. An inductive thematic approach was used to identify common themes across aggregate responses. Results Seventy-eight respondents represented 18 residency programs. A slight majority of respondents identified as female (40/78, 51.3%). The largest proportion of respondents identified as White participants (36/78, 46.2%). Preferred wellness interventions included food, personal resources, and opportunities for social connections. Respondents had mixed views on giveaways. Respondents identified work hours and time off as major structural determinants of well-being. Respondents also referenced aspects of their work environments, including the negative impact of mistreatment and the importance of mentorship. Wellness initiatives that appear to favor certain residents, or that have limited availability for all residents, may negatively impact well-being. Conclusions Inclusion of residents from multiple programs provided broad input on GME-sponsored wellness initiatives. While social connections, food, and other resources enhance well-being, work environments and perceptions of inequity in wellness initiatives may negatively impact resident well-being. These themes may correspond with existing theoretical frameworks on physician well-being. Future multi-institutional studies would increase the reliability of these findings and inform improvements in GME-sponsored wellness initiatives.