Building Resilience in Rural GP Physicians: Exploring Qualities of Mindfulness and Its Impact on Resilience

Dr Christopher Wilson, Emily Neville, A/Prof Catherine Harding

Rationale

General practitioner (GP) stress, burnout and retention in rural and remote areas remain critical issues to be addressed in relation to workforce distribution. Despite efforts, current strategies are failing to improve the situation. In order for integrated primary and community based services to better support people and communities to understand and take action for their own health and wellbeing, rural GPs first have to understand the principles of resilience and wellness themselves. However, these principles are not currently a focus of core training program curriculum. 

Objective

The study aims to:

• gain insight into experienced rural general practitioners who have developed resilience strategies
• further understand GPs’ self-reported perceptions of resilience  
• identify qualities and characteristics associated with resilience as compared to findings in the literature on mindfulness
• to demonstrate that rural GP resilience is dynamic and can be enhanced with appropriate attitudes and effective strategies

Design

A qualitative study applying framework analysis to semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and the findings from the literature. 

Participants

A purposeful sampling strategy gained a cross-section of 10 rural GPs with 10 years or more experience by geographical remoteness

Conclusion

Current doctor training programs are still inadequate in terms of building resilience. A better understanding of the qualitative features of GP resilience is needed. New data relating to rural GPs’ judgements about what they have anecdotally found to maintain their resilience in rural general practice may contribute to developing better strategies throughout training and subsequent retention of doctors in rural and remote areas.