Writing to Heal: The Arts as a Learning Methodology in Psychiatry

Int Rev Psychiatry. 2023 Nov-Dec;35(7-8):560-562. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2023.2270521. Epub 2023 Oct 18.

Abstract

This piece explores how poetry and prose can be used as an adjunct to medical education and patient care, especially in the field of psychiatry. It details the author's personal experience with spoken word poetry as a medium of communication about their own story and how this may be harnessed to tell the stories of patients as well. The piece touches on how mental health can be explored through creative writing and how this may be a useful tool for working with patients.

Keywords: Poetry; arts in medicine; narrative medicine; storytelling.

MeSH terms

  • Communication
  • Education, Medical*
  • Humans
  • Psychiatry*
  • Writing