Near Peer Mental Health Panels - What, How, and Why

When trainees share their mental health experiences with their peers, it reduces stigma and improves the culture of a training program, making it safer for all trainees to access mental health treatment. The internal medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is in its fifth year of conducting yearly resident-led panels on accessing mental health care resources during residency. The MGH pediatrics residency program held a similar panel for the first time this year, demonstrating translatability of this method. In this workshop, two associate program directors (one medicine, one medicine-pediatrics) and a former internal medicine resident panel participant will share key lessons and strategies, learned from our five years of experience, to successfully creating a trainee mental health panel at your program, including timing, selection of participants, and pre- and post-panel support of participants. These panels have led to a decrease in stigma and an increase in willingness of their trainees to access mental health resources during residency, and we will share strategies to adapt to that new reality as a program, such as expanding access to mental health treatment during the work week, adjusting backup staffing, and developing faculty to respond to trainee needs.

Speakers

• Meridale Baggett, MD
• Susan Hata, MD
• Emmett Kistler, MD

Additional Information

Year Published: 2023 - APDIM Fall Meeting