Cheryl Dellasega*, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, United States Daniel R George*, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, United States Megan Whitehead, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, United States Alan Bordon*, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, United States Brittney Hacken, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, United States Ali Thompson, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, United States Track: Research Presentation Topic: Building virtual communities and social networking applications for health professionals Presentation Type: Oral presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Building: Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School Room: B-Bray Room Date: 2012-09-15 02:00 PM – 02:45 PM Last modified: 2012-09-12

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Background: Student anxiety and doubt about academic performance in the early years of medical school have been well documented, as has the connection between these variables and GPA, coping, and professionalism. Stress-management interventions designed to address these problems can be helpful but are challenged by shortages of time, personnel, and resources. New evidence is emerging that suggests blogging and other forms of social media can improve mental health and promote coping. Since recent surveys have shown that over 90% of medical students participate in online social networks, popular virtual communities such as Facebook offer a venue for innovative digital learning that can address student stress and provide a valuable resource for students who may be reluctant to seek help and thereby risk stigma.

Objective: To determine how first-year medical students could benefit from a Facebook-based stress-management intervention.

Methods: During orientation week at Penn State College of Medicine, 47 participants were randomly assigned to a Facebook stress-management group that addressed problematic issues during the first semester. The intervention took place during the first eleven weeks of medical school. A multi-method evaluation of the intervention was completed using qualitative procedures for focus group data and descriptive statistics for demographics and frequencies.

Results: Participants credited the Facebook group with promoting strategies for coping with stress, creating a friendlier environment, and norming failure while also reducing stigma associated with seeking stress-management resources. In particular, students valued access to YouTube video-narratives from advanced medical students and faculty containing stress management tips and advice. They felt that a Facebook-based group could be even more effective if administered by older medical students rather than faculty, and suggested that content be frontloaded earlier in the semester.

Conclusions: The accessibility and ease of use of a Facebook-based stress-management program proved valuable for medical students, particularly early in the first semester. Our preliminary results suggest that medical schools might consider adding a secure online social networking component with oversight from a trained mental health professional to existing stress-management programming.