Every physician will ultimately experience adverse patient outcomes including loss, which can lead to physician grief and burnout. There are limited resources for physician mental health support and grief education. We have attempted to address this issue by implementing a grief support group that aims to address the emotional and psychological needs of medical residents. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of grief support groups on medical residents' abilities to cope with grief and loss.

This was a cross-sectional analysis of pre-intervention and post-intervention data following the implementation of a grief support group program for medical residents. Residents participated in a series of 8 guided sessions incorporating reflective prompts and group dialogue. Residents completed a pre-intervention survey which included self-reported wellness scores. After the intervention period, residents completed a survey that again assessed self-reported wellness scores as well as perceived effectiveness of the support groups. Responses were measured using a 5-point Likert scales. Differences in wellness scores between pre- and post-intervention groups were assessed using Mann–Whitney U tests. Resident ratings of the program effectiveness were summarized using descriptive statistics. Free-text responses were analyzed using thematic analysis.

30 participants completed the pre-intervention survey and 19 participants completed the post-intervention survey. Group-level comparisons suggested improvements across several wellness domains following the intervention, particularly in ability to cope with emotions, although no results were statistically significant. In the post-intervention evaluation, residents reported high perceived effectiveness across all domains, with mean ratings ranging from 4.16 to 4.58 out of 5. The highest-rated areas included comfort sharing experiences, reduced sense of isolation, and intention to apply insights gained. Thematic analysis identified key benefits, including dedicated time for emotional processing and value of peer perspectives. Reported challenges included scheduling constraints and competing clinical demands.

A structured grief support group for medical residents was highly valued and associated with improved perceived coping, emotional insight, and peer connection. Incorporating protected time and optimizing session structure may enhance feasibility and impact. These findings support the integration of structured emotional support interventions within residency training programs.