Teaching empathy in Balint groups

The aim of this study was to examine whether participation in Balint groups is associated with higher levels of empathy among physicians. This study was carried out with a sample of 210 physicians working in primary health centers in Belgrade. Among them, 70 doctors had completed Balint training lasting at least one year, while the remaining 140 doctors had never participated in such training (the non-Balint group). Empathy levels among doctors were assessed using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), an evaluation scale developed by Davis that consists of four subscales: perspective taking, fantasy, empathic concern, and personal distress. We found that physicians who completed Balint training had significantly higher scores on the perspective taking, fantasy, and empathic concern subscales compared to those who did not complete the training (p < 0.001). Regarding the personal distress subscale, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups of physicians (p= 0.530). In the multivariate logistic regression models, participation in the Balint group emerged as the only significant predictor for the perspective taking and empathic concern subscales (p < 0.001), while for the fantasy subscale, both participation in the Balint group and being a medical specialist were identified as significant predictors. Participation in Balint groups is significantly associated with higher levels of empathy among physicians.