MGH McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Program

A meta-analysis of studies that investigated measures designed to improve health professionals’ interactions with patients confirms that such efforts can produce health effects just as beneficial as taking a daily aspirin to prevent heart attack. In contrast to previous such reviews, the current report from the Empathy and Relational Science Program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) only included randomized, controlled trials with more reliable results than those included in earlier studies. While it has long been believed that a good patient-clinician relationship can improve health outcomes, objective evidence to support that belief has been hard to come by.

“Although the effect we found was small, this is the first analysis of the combined results of previous studies to show that relationship factors really do make a difference in patients’ health outcomes,” says Helen Riess, MD, (pictured above) Director of the Empathy and Relational Science Program in the MGH Department of Psychiatry, senior author of the report in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.

(more…)

On September 16th 2013, a celebration was held at MGH to honor the establishment of the Michele and Howard J. Kessler Chair in Public and Community Psychiatry, with the appointment of Derri L. Shtasel, MD, MPH, as the inaugural incumbent. This chair, generously funded by the Kessler family, will help expand services for those suffering from severe and persistent mental illness, who also depend upon government and community-based agencies for their care. These illnesses are often compounded by substance use disorders, poverty, homelessness, immigration status and multiple trauma.

(more…)

In June, the Class of 2013 presented their work in the annual Senior Talks Symposium at McLean and MGH. At McLean, residents discussed the process of disruption and repair, identifying with patients, and the importance of screening and intervention for public health. Two complementary talks addressed the importance of peer education, and the value of peer support during residency. The talks in the Ether Dome at MGH ranged from a philosophical analysis of autonomy to neuroimaging in mouse models. Residents presented on complicating factors such as sociocultural issues, comorbidity, and trauma and their impact on public health.

Speakers are listed below.

---

Wednesday, June 5, 2013 McLean, de Marneffe, Room 132

• Benjamin Herbstman, M.D., M.H.S. - "Healing through Disruption and Repair"
• Christopher Keary, M.D. - "The Resident as Teacher: Experiences designing a resident teaching curriculum"
• Brian Hurley, M.D., M.B.A. - "Transforming the World by Providing Care to Patients who Use Substances"
• Ying Wang, M.D. - "Parallel Journeys - Learning and Growing Alongside My Patients"
• Lazaro Zayas, M.D. and Jonathan Moran, M.D., M.B.A. - "Are we all imbalanced? Attempting to achieve well-being in residency: Getting by with a little help from our friends"

Wednesday, June 12, 2013 MGH, Ether Dome

• John Taylor, M.D., M.B.A. - "The Burden of Psychiatric Illness in High Utilizers of Healthcare Resources"
• Justin Chen, M.D. - "Toward suicide prevention in East Asia: A sociocultural, historical, and legal perspective"
• Avi Gerstenblith, M.D. - "Reflections"
• Michael Halassa, M.D., Ph.D. - "Why Psychiatry?"
• Amanda Green, M.D. - "Autonomy"
• Oriana Vesga Lopez, M.D. - "Remembering and working through"
• Elizabeth Levey, M.D. - "From the Ashes of Disaster: Growing up in Liberia"
• Leah Bauer, M.D. - "Three Extraordinary Women and What They’ve Taught Me about Life and Doctoring"