Supporting doctors’ mental health: Exploring the utility of a life skills programme for interns in rural Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

S Afr Med J. 2026 Mar 2;116(2):e3770. doi: 10.7196/SAMJ.2026.v116i2.3770.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Occupational stress affecting junior doctors poses a serious risk to mental health, with consequences such as anxiety, burnout, substance misuse and suicide.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the utility of a life skills training programme (LSTP) developed and implemented at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, in improving stress levels and coping abilities among second-year medical interns.

METHODS: We used a quasi-experimental pre-post quantitative design without a control group. Identical surveys were administered before and after the intervention, including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and items on coping behaviours. Descriptive statistics, paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used for analysis.

RESULTS: Of 56 eligible interns, 45 (80.4%) completed both pre- and post-intervention assessments. Stress scores decreased significantly (from mean 2.92 to 2.51, p<0.001), while coping scores improved (from mean 3.26 to 3.48, p=0.001). Wilcoxon tests confirmed significant gains, with enhanced confidence in ethical reasoning (Z=-5.014, p<0.001), professionalism (Z=-2.673, p=0.008) and teamwork (Z=-2.357, p=0.018). Participants who were single or lived alone showed higher stress levels. Subgroup analysis also revealed that interns who were single or lived alone had lower coping scores.

CONCLUSION: The LSTP improved interns’ mental wellbeing and coping mechanisms. Findings support integrating life skills training into internship programmes.

PMID:42246821 | DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.2026.v116i2.3770