Who takes care of those who care? A pilot study of psychological counseling for residents working in a paediatric hospital.

Medical residency in paediatric settings is characterized by intense emotional demands, heavy workloads, and limited opportunities for reflective processing, placing residents at increased risk for psychological distress and impaired functioning. This pilot study explored changes associated with participation in a brief psychological counseling (approximately five sessions plus follow-up, tailored to individual needs), delivered to 26 paediatric residents assessed at intake (T0), post-intervention (T1), and follow-up (T2). Participants completed self-report measures assessing psychological distress, symptoms, functioning, and academic engagement, and provided qualitative feedback through a satisfaction questionnaire. Significant improvements emerged over time in psychological well-being, symptoms, and functioning, with changes maintained at follow-up. More than half of participants reported clinically relevant distress at intake, whereas clinically significant improvement emerged only at follow-up. In contrast, academic engagement showed limited variation, with significant changes observed only in peer relationships. Qualitative feedback indicated high satisfaction with the service, perceived usefulness in managing emotional and professional challenges, and a desire for longer or ongoing support. Overall, findings suggest that brief psychological counseling may represent a feasible and potentially beneficial resource for paediatric residents and was associated with improvements in psychological well-being and reflective functioning within high-intensity clinical environments.