Storytelling and poetry in the time of coronavirus

The coronavirus crisis occurs at a time when many clinicians have already experienced burnout. One in three Irish doctors were suffering from burnout in the 2019 National Study of Wellbeing of Hospital Doctors in Ireland; rates are also high in Irish Psychiatry. We present a perspective on the use o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine 2020-12, Vol.37 (4), p.278-282
Main Authors:	Barrett, Elizabeth, Dickson, Melissa, Hayes-Brady, Clare, Wheelock, Harriet
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Burnout Burnout, Professional - prevention & control Burnout, Professional - psychology Clinical medicine Collaboration Coronaviruses COVID-19 COVID-19 - epidemiology COVID-19 - psychology Humanities Humans Interactive learning Interdisciplinary aspects Interprofessional education Medical practices Medicine Mental disorders Mental health Narration Narrative Therapy Pandemics Patients Perspective Piece Physicians Piece Poetry as Topic Reflective practice Storytelling
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Summary:	The coronavirus crisis occurs at a time when many clinicians have already experienced burnout. One in three Irish doctors were suffering from burnout in the 2019 National Study of Wellbeing of Hospital Doctors in Ireland; rates are also high in Irish Psychiatry. We present a perspective on the use of narrative in medicine and recognise that storytelling, and the patient history are very much at the heart of medicine. Clinician storytelling, such as Schwartz Rounds and Balint group work, has very much come to the fore in Irish Psychiatry and in training. Projects such as MindReading have explored overlaps between clinicians, humanities experts and experts by experience. We give an overview of some approaches from the movement around narrative in medicine to bolster this. We explore why clinicians write as ways to support identification, catharsis and a way to process experiences. Clinicians and patients may also use literature and poetry to promote coping. The historical context and practical strategies are highlighted, particularly with reference to poetry use during the current crisis.
ISSN:	0790-9667 2051-6967