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A Stanford-led study shows that a weekend workshop for physicians and their partners significantly reduced burnout and improved relationship satisfaction.

The dual demands of clinical responsibilities and personal life have long weighed heavily on physicians. Research consistently shows physicians report greater difficulty with work-life integration compared with the general workforce—a burden intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. A cohort study published in JAMA Network Open offers evidence that targeted, organizational support involving partners may mitigate some of these pressures.

Jessica M. Gold, MD, MS, and colleagues evaluated a novel intervention: a 2-day couples’ retreat designed to reduce the adverse impact of work on personal relationships (IWPR) while also improving burnout and self-valuation.

“Physicians experience greater struggles with work-life integration than US workers in other fields, and work-life conflict is a well-established contributor to burnout,” the researchers wrote.

The Intervention: A Weekend to Reconnect

The study enrolled 47 physicians and their partners in the intervention group and 69 in a delayed-intervention control group. The retreat, organized by Stanford WellMD & WellPhD Center, offered didactic content, reflective exercises, and structured free time, all based on positive psychology principles. Follow-up sessions provided ongoing reinforcement. According to Dr. Gold and colleagues, the goal was “to foster connection and relaxation,” as well as to equip couples with tools to manage the challenges of physician life.

The workshop’s content explicitly addressed traits and practices cultivated in professional clinician culture that may result in challenges in close personal relationships, including perfectionism, problem-solving, over-empathizing, and deferral of self-care.

Statistically Significant Gains Across All Domains

Outcome measures focused on IWPR, burnout, and self-valuation. Physicians in the intervention group showed marked improvements from baseline to 6-month follow-up:

• A 1.59-point reduction in IWPR (Cohen d=0.54; P<0.001)
• A 1.22-point reduction in burnout (Cohen d=0.68; P<0.001)
• A 1.25-point increase in self-valuation (Cohen d=0.68; P<0.001)

In contrast, the control group experienced no significant change in these measures. Mixed-effects modeling confirmed that intervention group participation was significantly associated with improved outcomes even after adjusting for baseline measures.

“These data provide evidence that this approach may be an effective strategy to reduce the adverse IWPR, mitigate burnout, and improve physician well-being,” wrote Dr. Gold and colleagues.

Designing for Physicians, With Partners in Mind

What set this program apart was its focus not just on the individual physician, but on the relationship dynamic. The study involved physicians alongside their partners in an organizationally sponsored intervention targeting IWPR.

The retreat was more than just a temporary escape—it provided a structured space for meaningful conversation, goal setting, and skills-building around work-life integration, emphasized the study authors.

The weekend included “discussion prompts that cultivated gratitude, exercises that focused on building on strengths, and tips for collaborative communication,” according to Dr. Gold and colleagues.

A Pathway Toward Sustainable Culture Change

While individual-level interventions can support well-being, the study’s authors said that broader cultural and structural changes remain essential.

Key recommendations for systemic improvement include:

• Flexible and predictable scheduling
• Ample parental leave and support on return
• Institutional support for self-care and boundary setting
• Promotion of a professional culture that values emotional health

A Promising Model Worth Replicating

Though the study was limited by its single-site design and modest sample size, its findings are compelling. The intervention resulted in effect sizes suggesting small to moderate but meaningful improvements, with potential downstream benefits for patient care, workplace satisfaction, and retention.

Given that the total cost of the workshop represented less than 1% of the average annual physician compensation, the authors noted that the return on investment via reduced burnout and potential lower turnover may be significant.

“The moderate effect size improvement in physician burnout at 6 months may result in cost savings that far outstrip the cost of the workshop itself,” Dr. Gold and colleagues wrote.

Future studies are needed to assess the durability of benefits and refine the model for scalability. However, for institutions seeking evidence-based strategies to support their frontline clinicians, this couples-based approach may offer a high-value option.