Impact of Self-awareness in Stress, Burnout, Self-compassion and Compassion in Medical Students - Controlled Clinical Trial
Phase: NA
Conditions: Burnout, Student, Stress, Psychological, Compassion, Self-Perception
Sponsor: University of Coimbra

Impact of Self-Awareness in Stress, Burnout, Self-Compassion and Compassion in medical 
students 
 
096/2019 
1 June 2020 version 
 
 
 
RESEARCH PROTOCOL 
 
Title: 
Impact of Self-Awareness in Stress, Burnout, Self-Compassion and Compassion in medical 
students 
 
INTRODUCTION: It has been proven that the training of future physicians generates high 
levels of stress, from the need to assimilate a lot of knowledge in a short time to the anxiety of 
anticipating the practical profession. This reality has been translated into increasing burnout 
rates in medical students, whose physical, psychological and behavioral impact translates into 
repercussions on the quality of life of students and on their role as physicians and on the patients 
themselves. It therefore becomes an ethical duty to find and develop tools for stress 
management and burnout prevention. Currently, there are several studies that address 
individual, organizational, and combined strategies. However, few have sought to relate self-
knowledge as a protective factor against burnout inducers. According to Rispail (2003) and 
Cunha et al. (2013), self-knowledge involves what we think of ourselves implying a self-
evaluation of limits, fears, insecurities, and vulnerability, but also of potentialities. In Portugal, 
it was tried to understand its protective role against burnout in intensive care units, but not in 
medical students. In 2019, we conducted a pilot study of this trial, which we now intend to 
extend to a larger sample. 
OBJECTIVES: To understand if the promotion of self-awareness in medical students based on 
the Enneagram of Personalities tool has an impact on levels of stress, burnout, and quality of 

life in this population, as well as on self-compassion and compassion, promoting awareness of 
its importance and possible application in medical schools. 
METHODS: First, an online outreach will be conducted to solicit volunteers within the medical 
students. After acquiring a randomly selected representative sample within the volunteers, a 
randomized controlled clinical trial will be conducted, where the intervention will consist of a 
course, guided by specialized trainers, in which self-knowledge skills will be developed and 
self-knowledge skills and training in communication and empathy. This course will be divided 
into 3 sessions: in a first, a theoretical introduction is given, where the Personality Enneagram 
is addressed; in the second, the p 
articipants will try to apply what they have learned to self-knowledge and seek ways of growth 
and stress management; finally, they will be confronted with practical situations similar to 
those they will face in the future as doctors, applying the previous knowledge. The groups will 
have to answer 2 online questionnaires with 6 scales, before and after the intervention and 9 
months later. The results obtained will be subject to descriptive and inferential descriptive and 
inferential statistical analysis. 
 
 
1. Ishak W, Nikravesh R, Lederer S, Perry R, Ogunyemi D, Bernstein C. Burnout in medical students: 
a systematic review. Clin Teach. 2013;10(4):242-5. 
2. Novack DH, Epstein RM, Paulsen RH. Toward creating physician-healers: fostering medical 
students' selfawareness, personal growth, and well-being. Acad Med. 1999;74(5):516-20. 
3. Shiralkar MT, Harris TB, Eddins-Folensbee FF, Coverdale JH. A systematic review of stress-
management programs for medical students. Acad Psychiatry. 2013;37(3):158-64. 
 
Authors: 
ANA CAROLINA MONTEIRO MARTINHO 
INÊS ROSENDO CARVALHO E SILVA 
LILIANA RUTE ANTONIO CONSTANTINO