Improving the professional self-efficacy cognitions of immigrant doctors with Balint groups.

Abstract

Immigrant doctors have been found to exhibit professional distress, especially if they are retrained to another medical specialty. This study looks at the effects of a long-term Balint group in increasing professional self-efficacy cognitions of immigrant physicians treating drug addicts in a home-based community program in their adopted homeland. Results of the group showed positive significant changes in specific self-efficacy cognitions related to treatment of drug addicts in the community, and an increase in psychosocial self-efficacy from baseline to three other assessment points. The importance of long-term Balint groups with doctors in general and with retraining immigrant doctors in particular is also carefully elucidated.