Critical skills: qualitative content analysis of medical residents in social skills training with RPGs.

The present study aimed to assess the viability of Social Skills Training through RPGs during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, employing qualitative discourse analysis of residents. Focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of psychiatry residents who volunteered to participate in the RPG-based training. Eleven residents took part in video conference focus groups, with one researcher acting as a non-participant observer. Over a period of 4 months, residents engaged in weekly 3-h sessions structured around five fundamental steps: rapport building, task discussions, goal setting, gaming, and feedback. Results indicate positive impacts on group dynamics, communication skills, cooperation, assertiveness, empathy, mental health, and quality of life. However, given the exploratory nature of this study, further research incorporating pre- and post-intervention assessments is warranted to thoroughly evaluate the intervention's effectiveness.