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Using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy-Based Skills to Enhance Mental Health Resiliency and Outcomes in Clinicians

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Workplace Wellness: From Resiliency to Suicide Prevention and Grief Management

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Abstract

Rates of burnout, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and suicide have been declared a public health epidemic in clinicians. Solutions to improve clinicians’ mental health and well-being include fixing system problems (e.g., inadequate staff–patient ratios, lengthy shifts, problems with the electronic medical record) and equipping clinicians with skills that build mental resiliency and enhance coping. Building and sustaining a wellness culture in healthcare systems is imperative because clinicians’ perceptions of their worksite culture impact their emotions, lifestyle behaviors, and patient outcomes. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the gold standard first-line treatment for mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety. However, not everyone who needs it receives it due to lack of access and mental health stigma. This chapter will discuss the key components of CBT and how using cognitive-behavioral therapy-based skills, such as those taught in the MINDBODYSTRONG© program, can enhance mental health resiliency and outcomes in clinicians. The evidence behind MINDBODYSTRONG© is highlighted and strategies for applying such programming in academic, clinical, and leadership settings also are described.

Declaration of Interest: Dr. Melnyk is the creator of MINDSTRONG© and has a company, COPE2Thrive, LLC, that disseminates the original versions of this program for children, teens, and young adults, which are entitled COPE© (Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment). The remaining authors have no other conflicts to disclose.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Chief Wellness Officer, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk & Andreanna Pavan Hsieh

  2. College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Jacqueline Hoying

Authors
  1. Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk
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  2. Jacqueline Hoying
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  3. Andreanna Pavan Hsieh
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Nursing Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Judy E. Davidson

  2. Division of Nursing, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Marcus Richardson

Appendices

Discussion Questions

  1. 1.

    Why is it important for hospitals and healthcare systems to promote and support clinician wellness and well-being?

  2. 2.

    What interventions have been shown to improve clinicians’ mental and physical health?

  3. 3.

    What are the main concepts in cognitive-behavioral therapy?

  4. 4.

    What is the evidence behind MINDBODYSTRONG©?

  5. 5.

    In what settings can the MINDBODYSTRONG© program be used?

Discussion Guide

  1. 1.

    Findings from research have indicated that poor mental and physical health of clinicians negatively impacts healthcare quality, safety, and patient outcomes as well as leads to high turnover rates and costs for hospitals and healthcare systems.

  2. 2.

    Mindfulness, CBT-based programs, gratitude practices, health coaching, and deep breathing are effective in reducing clinician depression, anxiety, and stress and improving healthy lifestyle behaviors.

  3. 3.

    CBT emphasizes the thinking, feeling, and behaving triangle—that is, how one thinks directly affects how one behaves and feels.

  4. 4.

    MINDBODYSTRONG© decreases stress, and depressive and anxiety symptoms in clinicians as well as improves job satisfaction.

  5. 5.

    The program can be applied in academic, clinical, and leadership settings.

Glossary

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

The gold standard first-line treatment for mild to moderate depression and anxiety.

Cognitive Theory of Depression and Psychotherapy

The basis of CBT. Focuses on becoming aware of or catching one’s cognitive automatic distortions or unhelpful negative thoughts, checking them by asking whether the thoughts are helpful or true, and changing them into positive ones to feel emotionally better and engage in healthy behaviors (i.e., Catch, Check, and Change).

MINDSTRONG©/MINDBODYSTRONG©

Targeted mindfulness integrated CBT-based interventions for youth/young adults (MINDSTRONG©) and healthcare clinicians (MINDBODYSTRONG©). These programs have been shown to be effective in decreasing depression, suicidal ideation, stress/anxiety, and increasing healthy lifestyle behaviors in the intended populations.

Thinking, Feeling, and Behaving Triangle

The cycle of how one’s thoughts affect one’s feelings and subsequently one’s actions. In turn, one’s actions can affect one’s thoughts and feelings.

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Melnyk, B.M., Hoying, J., Hsieh, A.P. (2023). Using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy-Based Skills to Enhance Mental Health Resiliency and Outcomes in Clinicians. In: Davidson, J.E., Richardson, M. (eds) Workplace Wellness: From Resiliency to Suicide Prevention and Grief Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16983-0_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16983-0_2

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