TV medical dramas: assessing the portrayal of public health in primetime.

Introduction: The influence of medical dramas could extend beyond the realm of entertainment and potentially strengthen/orient the knowledge, attitudes and hopefully practice of health professionals and the public, despite often depicting unrealistic medical outcomes and scenarios. Methods: This study examined the portrayal of public health issues in two popular international medical series, "Grey's Anatomy" and "House, MD," selected for their awards and viewership ratings. Individual episodes were double-rated by clinicians for patient characteristics, public health issues, and infection risk management. Results: 94 episodes with 286 clinical cases were analyzed. A wide range of conditions and pathologies were depicted, with a focus on acute clinical events, trauma and mental disorders, which contrasts with real-life causes of hospitalization and highlight the dramatization in these series. Public health issues such as organ donation and substance abuse were frequently addressed, but prevention and health promotion received little attention. Proper use of personal protective equipment was mostly observed, although hand hygiene was underrepresented. Conclusion: The study highlights the dual role of medical dramas as an entertainment medium and a potential educational tool. While they can raise awareness and encourage healthier behavior, their portrayal of medical practices and patient care often deviates from reality and can create unrealistic expectations. The influence of these dramas also extends to viewers' perceptions of healthcare and medical professionals, underscoring the need for accurate and responsible portrayal of health issues in the media.

Effectiveness of drama and music therapies as health communication interventions for reducing anxiety and posttraumatic disorders among children-victims of flood.

This study examined the usefulness of drama and music therapies as communication strategies for reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) among school children (aged 10-16) who were victims of the 2022 floods in Nigeria. The researchers randomly assigned the children to control (n = 122) drama therapy (n = 120) and music therapy (n = 120) groups. The result of the study revealed that after the intervention, school children in the drama and music therapies (unlike those in the control group) reported a significant reduction in their PTSD and GAD symptoms; the reduction achieved statistical significance (p = 0.001, ηp2 = 0.48). Further results revealed a significant interactive effect of gender (p = 0.001) with boys reporting a significant reduction more than girls. The results showed that drama therapy contributed more to reducing PTSD symptoms, while music therapy contributed more to reducing GAD symptoms. The difference did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.23). The researchers conclude that both drama and music therapies were associated with reduced symptoms, indicating the interventions may be beneficial therapies.

Problematic series watching and alcohol consumption among global audiences of Korean Drama in Israel and Indonesia.

Korean dramas (K-dramas), with their unique characteristics, often encourage binge-watching. Moreover, the cultural norms and rituals surrounding alcohol, prevalent in South Korea, are mirrored in K-dramas that have gained global audiences in recent years. The present study aimed to examine problematic K-drama series watching, and the potential associations with alcohol consumption among global adult audiences from Israel and Indonesia. An online questionnaire was distributed to a non-probability convenience sample of 638 adult viewers of K-drama, of whom 383 (60%) were Indonesian and 255 (40%) were Israeli. Fifteen percent of the audiences were identified as displaying problematic K-drama series watching, 36% reported ever drinking Soju (the traditional unique Korean drink), 41% reported drinking alcohol in the past 3 months, and 24% reported binge drinking in the past 12 months. Participants who were higher in problematic K-drama series watching were more likely to be involved with drinking Soju, drinking alcohol in the past 3 months, and binge drinking in the last year. Indonesians and Israelis have significantly different viewing patterns and alcohol consumption. 21.2% of Israelis identified as problematic K-drama series watching compared to 10.7% of Indonesians. Greater percentage of the Israelis have reported consumption of alcohol than Indonesians. Multiple linear regression for problematic K-drama series watching revealed that Israeli audiences, younger age, being defined as a fan, being a member of a K-drama social network, higher number of weekly hours spent watching, and greater number of dramas being watched per month were associated with more problematic K-drama series watching. Series binge-watching may entail potentially negative health and social consequences and professionals should pay more attention to this type of problematic behavior. The identification of problematic K-drama series watching and its association with increased alcohol consumption, suggests the need for health policymakers to consider cultural influences on media alcohol messages consumption.

Workshop on hastened death as "space for an appreciative discussion": A qualitative study.

AIM: To evaluate the suitability of a drama-based workshop as a method for ethical deliberation. BACKGROUND: Nurses worldwide are inadequately prepared to care for people who desire hastened death, which can lead to ethical and moral dilemmas. To address this problem, we developed a drama-based ethical deliberation workshop to assist nurses in these situations. Senghor and Racine's three moments of ethical deliberation and their quality criteria served as basis for evaluation. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive study design. METHODS: Non-participant observations and a survey with incomplete sentences to be completed by nursing students were used. Data analysis followed Mayring's deductive content analysis approach. RESULTS: All three moments of ethical deliberation according to Senghor and Racine were identified. Participants recognised hastened death as morally problematic, shared their experiences and gained a deeper understanding of the problem. They reported feeling better prepared for encounters with persons seeking assisted suicide. In terms of its quality, the drama-based workshop achieved good and partial ethical deliberation. CONCLUSIONS: The workshop has demonstrated its suitability as a method for ethical deliberation. The workshop should be complemented by specific modules, such as communication skills and be tailored to other professional groups. A validated instrument is needed to ensure a more comprehensive assessment of the quality.

The effect of creative drama education given to nursing students on mental health literacy levels: A randomized controlled study.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of education provided to nursing students on MHL levels. METHODS: The study had a randomized pre-test post-test parallel control group design. Fifty-six (n = 56) first-year nursing students. In this study, CONSORT flow diagram was applied. The data collection forms consist of a personal information form and Mental Health Literacy Scale. In the statistical analysis Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used. RESULTS: Creative drama education was found to be significantly more effective than classroom education in increasing scores on the mental health literacy scale, including sub-dimensions for awareness of mental disorders, ability to access information, and stigma in nursing students (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Classroom education and creative drama are effective in changing mental health literacy scales. It is recommended to spread the use of creative drama, which is one of the artistic and interactive educational techniques in nursing education.

Using process drama in EFL education: A systematic literature review.

Process drama, which emphasizes the active exploration of fictional roles and situations, has proven to be an effective pedagogical approach in language teaching and learning. Despite its recognized efficacy, the systematic evaluation of process drama's impact on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education remains understudied. This systematic review aimed to investigate the current literature on the relationship between process drama and EFL teaching and learning. Using the keywords "process drama" and "EFL," publications released between 2003 and 2023 were meticulously extracted from various reputable databases, including ProQuest Citation, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Taylor & Francis, SAGE, and Google Scholar. In total, 30 studies (27 articles, two master's theses, and one PhD thesis) that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed comprehensively based on their primary characteristics, fostering in-depth discussions on the diverse factors influencing EFL learning and teaching through process drama. Notably, the review underscores that process drama exerts a significant and positive impact on EFL learning and teaching, particularly by enhancing language skills, students' language learning outcomes, and EFL teacher development.

Ventriloquist intervention prepared with drama technique in reducing pain, anxiety and fear in children during invasive procedures.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a ventriloquist nursing intervention, incorporating drama techniques, on pain, anxiety, and fear experienced by children aged 5 to 10 years undergoing painful medical procedures. METHODS: This study was designed as a time-series randomized controlled trial. Data were collected from the outpatient units of a Pediatric Hospital in a province in eastern Turkey between 24 May 2023 and 28 October 2023. This study involving a total of 72 children. Pain, anxiety, and fear levels were assessed before, during, and after intravenous cannula insertion. RESULTS: Randomization ensured that both groups had similar demographics, with an average age of 7.50 ± 1.73 years and an equal distribution of gender. During the painful procedure, it was observed that both groups experienced an increase in pain, anxiety, and fear, though this increase was statistically less significant in the ventriloquist group. Ultimately, in the post-procedure period, children in the ventriloquist group exhibited lower levels of pain, anxiety, and fear compared to the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that ventriloquist nursing interventions, utilizing drama techniques, can effectively reduce pain, anxiety, and fear in children undergoing painful medical procedures.

Caring for/with Modernist Playthings: Fidgeting with Objects in Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie.

Modernist literature of the early to mid-twentieth century on both sides of the Atlantic is replete with examples of a particular kind of relationship with objects, namely, the touching, collecting, and grasping of small, often highly personal, and ostensibly quotidian objects. From John's glass collection in Woolf's "Solid Objects," Peter Walsh's stroking of his pocket-knife in Mrs. Dalloway, Miriam's frenzied absorption with flowers in Lawrence's Sons and Lovers, to Laura's fiddling of her glass menagerie in Tennessee Williams's eponymous play, fidgeting in modernist literature and drama reveals a particular tendency of not just characters' possession of things but also their possession by things. This phenomenon, I argue, allows characters to practice care as they withdraw from oppressive narratives of normalcy and (economic and biological) productivity, challenging their exclusionary and othering configurations. My paper looks at fidgeting in The Glass Menagerie as a part of this larger ideological and haptic orientation in modernist literature. The care invested by Laura in her intimate relationship with these "playthings" allows her to intercept not only male narrativizing forces and articulation of herself but also the rhetoric of productivity that circulates both within the play and in the larger economic backdrop of post-depression America. My paper attempts to foreground these objects of care in our readings of the play and modernist texts in general and, in so doing, highlight their importance as lenses of analysis that render visible alternate forms of agency and resistance. Lastly, it attempts to reframe fidgeting as an act of embodied refusal, evoking the radical potential of refusal within feminist and disability studies.

Healthcare and legal systems responses to coercive control: an embodied performance of one woman's experience.

This paper uses a drama-based method to illustrate the responses of healthcare and legal systems to women experiencing coercive control. This approach involved writing a play using the first-person narrative voice of a victim-survivor. We presented the play at the Stop Domestic Violence Conference (Gold Coast, Australia) in 2021. The central character, 'Kate', provided an embodied performance that enabled the conference participants to see, feel and understand experiences of coercive control from a personal perspective. We followed the trajectory of coercive control from the beginning of an intimate relationship to the time of separation. We showed how the process of coercive control escalates from love bombing, reproductive coercion, isolation, and technology-facilitated abuse until a point of police intervention. As Kate told her story, the conference audience witnessed the barriers and challenges faced by survivors of coercive control, and the emotional, financial, and psychological impacts that are intensified in geographically remote environments. They watched Kate navigate health and other systems meant to help women experiencing domestic and family violence, but that ultimately failed to deliver. Finally, the drama-based approach allowed us to present a feminist embodiment of coercive control and an innovative method for communicating inter-disciplinary research findings on domestic abuse.

The effect of creative drama on nursing image: Randomized controlled study.

AIM: This study aimed to examine the effects of the creative drama method on first-year nursing students' perceptions of the image of nursing. BACKGROUND: Nursing students' perceptions of professional image can be affected by many processes during their transition to professional life. Therefore, supporting their development of a positive professional image at the beginning of their careers is necessary. DESIGN: This was a randomized controlled trial with a pre-test/post-test design and a control group. METHODS: The study was carried out at a nursing school located in the Eastern Black Sea region of Türkiye. The sample of this study consisted of 77 participants, with 38 in the experimental group and 39 in the control group. The subjects of professional image and the image of nursing were explained to the control group using presentations and case analysis and to the experimental group using the creative drama method. Research data were collected with the Student Information Form and Nursing Image Scale. RESULTS: The post-test scores obtained by the control group after receiving traditional education were higher than the pre-test scores. The post-test scores obtained by the experimental group after receiving education based on creative drama were higher than the pre-test scores. The scores of the experimental group were significantly higher after the educational intervention. CONCLUSION: Creative drama is far more effective in nursing image education for first-year nursing students than presentation and case analysis, which are conventional education methods. Creative drama can be used as an effective method to develop positive perceptions of nursing.

The effect of drama on psychosocial problems and emotional states of hospitalized children with cancer.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hospitalization is a traumatic experience for children. Especially in the case of childhood cancers that require long-term hospitalization, children need psychosocial support. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of drama in reducing psychosocial problems in hospitalized paediatric children diagnosed with cancer. METHODS: The study used a mixed method approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods with a single group. Drama sessions prepared according to the Tasks and Skills Model were used to support their psychosocial conditions. The Facial Expression Form, The Assessment Scale for Psychosocial Symptoms in Hospitalized Children, and the Drawing and Writing Technique were used before and after the drama sessions. RESULTS: This study differs from others in its use of drama intervention to reduce psychosocial problems in children undergoing cancer treatment. As a result of the study, it was found that there was a decrease in anxiety, hopelessness, anger-aggression and communication difficulties among psychosocial problems and a change in mood towards feeling happy. The study suggests that drama sessions were effective in relieving emotional distress in paediatric cancer patients. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that drama sessions were effective in relieving emotional distress in paediatric cancer patients. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Applying drama to children undergoing long-term hospital treatment can help alleviate psychosocial problems by reducing stress, emotional suppression, and compensating for trauma.

An improvisational theatre intervention in people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems.

People with intellectual disability (ID) generally tend to have difficulties expressing their thoughts and feelings verbally. Art-based therapies rely less on cognitive ability and verbal skills and aim to promote mental health. Drama therapy provides a playful framework to communicate problematic issues and to foster social skills. Improvisational theatre (improv) methods applied in therapy settings were reported to show positive effects on social competences and self-esteem. This pilot study investigates the feasibility (N = 24) and appropriateness (n = 12) of an intervention using improv methods in people with mild to moderate ID. Feasibility was measured on the basis of the average participation period, while appropriateness was assessed through a standardised patient satisfaction questionnaire (CSQ-8) and a self-developed questionnaire. The frequency of the applied methods was compared in two subgroups with participants requiring different support. The average participation rate of 19 months indicated a good feasibility. High CSQ-8 scores (M = 27.6/max. 32) and positive feedback on the self-developed questionnaire indicated the overall appropriateness. The frequency analysis of the applied methods reflected the adaptive nature of the intervention. Further research on the efficacy of improv methods contributing to mental health in people with ID is recommended.

Effect of drama training on self-esteem and personality strengths: A feasibility case control study of nidotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Although there are many case reports and qualitative studies on the likely positive effects of drama on mental health there have been few quantitative studies with mentally ill patients. AIMS: To assess the effect of drama training in patients receiving nidotherapy with a range of mental and personality disorders on changes in self-esteem and personality strengths over a 1-month period compared with two control groups, one with similar mental disorders and another without, who had similar assessments but no acting involvement. METHOD: A total of 19 patients were recruited from a mental health charity with current significant mental illness (active group: n = 6) (b) a control group of patients with current mental illness who were not involved in acting (n = 5), and an additional control group with no current mental illness (n = 8) The patients involved in drama were taking part in nidotherapy, an environmental intervention. Two self-rating scales, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Abbreviated Personality Strengths Scale (APSS) recorded changes in self-esteem and personality strengths at base-line and after 1 month in the participants. Random effects modelling was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: The intervention group showed positive improvement in personality strengths (p = .009) compared to the control group that had no mental illness, and also improved more than the control group with mental illness but not to a significant degree (p = .16). Self-esteem recorded with the Rosenberg scale was lower in those in the acting group at baseline compared with the other two groups (p = .088) but after acting training improved by 29% to be equivalent to the control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the limited numbers in this study, and the consequent inability to make firm conclusions about the efficacy of drama therapy as part of nidotherapy, the findings suggest that larger trials of this approach are feasible and worth exploring. .

I'm Great! I'm no good .: A case illustration of drama therapeutic work with a male offender of domestic violence in a forensic outpatient setting.

Treating perpetrators of aggressive behavior, like verbal aggression, intimidation, and bullying behavior resulting in aggressive incidents with others, is difficult. This group is often diagnosed with personality disorders and when legal measures applied, they are more often treated in a forensic setting for their problems. This article presents the case of a 54-year-old man, diagnosed with Borderline personality disorder, narcissistic and antisocial traits, mild depressive symptoms, and loss and grief, who has voluntarily had treatment in a forensic outpatient center to reduce aggression and change destructive patterns in relationships. Hating, judging, and self-defeating were the main reasons why the patient found himself ending up in the same situation repeatedly. The client received individual drama therapy sessions. The drama therapeutic approach included schema therapeutic elements, such as schema mode work with cards, as well as roleplay, imagery (with rescripting), improvisation, and psycho drama elements. As a result of drama therapy, the client reported less (active) aggression, less aggression in his relationships (partners/children/friends), but also an increased level of loneliness, and mild depressive symptoms. The client was more in touch with his vulnerability and was able to behave in a more adequate healthy way in relationships. Although self-esteem was still building up, there was a decrease of aggression and less conflict-seeking behavior as a result. Risk assessment tools (FARE-2 & HONOS) and Schema therapy scales (YSQ and SMI) were used pre- and posttreatment confirming the improvements. This case promotes the use of dramatherapy in forensic outpatient care to be valuable in lowering risk recidivism and changing deeply rooted behavioral patterns.

Community responses to persons with aphasia participating in CoActive therapeutic theatre: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Persons with aphasia (PWA) experience a number of communicative and social-emotional challenges. Reported experiences of PWA include but are not limited to, being misunderstood, isolated, frustrated, and infantilised. AIMS: The aim of this pilot study, involving a Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA), conducted over the course of 2 years, was to understand community perceptions of aphasia while PWA engaged in an interprofessional treatment program involving speech and drama therapy. METHODS & PROCEDURES: The interprofessional treatment program involved PWA participating in a therapeutic theatre program using the CoActive Therapeutic Theater (CoATT) while also receiving speech-language therapy. Each year, the PWA performed a different, original therapeutic theatre production for a public audience, at the culmination of their interprofessional treatment program. In this paper, we share data obtained from perspectives of audience members who witnessed the theatre production and aphasia education during the first year of the study and friends and family of PWA who participated in the therapeutic theatre process during the second year of the study. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: Responses from audience members who participated in aphasia education and witnessed the therapeutic theatre performance by the PWA during the first year, indicated an increased knowledge of aphasia. Friends and family members of PWA who witnessed their loved ones engaging in the CoATT process through interprofessional treatment, in the second year, reported that their loved ones benefited from the CoATT process, which was distinct from other therapeutic processes to their knowledge and that they were impacted by watching their loved one perform. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: These initial findings create footing towards understanding impact of therapeutic theatre in combination with speech-language therapy in the lives of PWA. They help us to obtain an initial appreciation of how therapeutic theatre and aphasia education help connect PWA and their community. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on this subject Caregivers and communities at large play a significant role in and substantially impact the recovery of their loved ones (Dalemans et al., 2010; Grawburget et al., 2013; Kniepmann & Cupler, 2014) with aphasia. However, existing research suggests that persons with aphasia (PWA) are often misunderstood, isolated and infantilised by their communities. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The findings of our study reveal that friends, families and extended communities of PWA gain a positive and deep understanding of challenges experienced by PWA through therapeutic theatre supported by speech language therapy, based in a new CoActive Therapeutic Theatre (CoATT) model. This PWA community also agrees that therapeutic theatre in combination with speech-language therapy provides confidence and camaraderie between PWAs and strengthen connection between all constituencies. These results support the need for interprofessional intervention within the framework of a Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA). What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Treatment paradigms that bring PWAs in contact with their communities using an LPAA approach can increase confidence and social engagement for PWAs potentially leading to better outcomes for their individual speech-language therapy as well as create means of educating communities about PWA, and their stories.

Effect of postmortem care education using a creative drama method on nursing students' knowledge, skills, and satisfaction: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Postmortem care is one of the most difficult aspects of the nursing profession and is frequently given in healthcare settings today. It is important to provide appropriate teaching experiences in order to prepare nursing students for their future professional roles in postmortem care. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to examine the effect of a creative drama method on nursing students' postmortem care knowledge and skill levels, learning retention, and satisfaction with the education method. DESIGN: A randomized controlled model with a pretest-posttest control group was used in this study. SETTINGS: One university school of nursing in Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 70 nursing students. METHOD: Information about postmortem care was shared with the control group using the classical education method of lectures and demonstration techniques, while the experimental group was taught with a creative drama method. Research data were collected with the Descriptive Characteristics Form, Postmortem Care Knowledge Test, Postmortem Care Skills Checklist, and Education Methods Satisfaction Survey. RESULTS: It was observed that the postmortem care education provided to both experimental and control group was effective in improving the knowledge and skill levels of nursing students regarding postmortem care (p < 0.05). However, the knowledge and skill levels of the experimental group regarding postmortem care, learning retention, and level of satisfaction with the education method were higher than those of the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Creative drama was thus found to be a more effective method than the classical education method in providing postmortem care education to nursing students. In addition, it was observed that the students were more satisfied with the education given with creative drama.

Public Health, Visual Rhetoric, and Latin America: Steinbeck's The Forgotten Village.

This essay analyzes the visualization of Euro-American medicine and indigenous healing in John Steinbeck's 1941 documentary-drama The Forgotten Village. The movie juxtaposes film and medical discourse as exemplifications of modern, visual culture by showing excerpts from hygiene films and foregrounding medical imagery (e.g., bacteria cultures). The film displaces indigenous medicine by privileging a Euro-American medical model, and the gaze of oppression is perpetuated through humanitarian medical intervention. In short, disease is not simply a material fact but embedded in discourses about community identity, moral values, and politics.

Effectiveness of Vocal Training Techniques in School-Aged Drama Students.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether vocal hygiene education and direct vocal training would impact student self-reported preparedness for using voice for performance. STUDY DESIGN: A single-group, pretest-posttest research design was used. METHODS: Twenty-three drama students in middle and high school participated in a 1-hour vocal training workshop, which included vocal hygiene education and vocal training for performance. Changes in student self-reported preparedness for using voice for performance were examined following participation in the workshop. Data analysis involved comparison of pretest and posttest responses to a novel questionnaire. RESULTS: Participants demonstrated a statistically significant increase in self-reported preparedness for using voice for performance following participation (P < .001, d = 2.40), as measured by mean increase in survey scores. Additionally, significant group differences were found by grade level and report of prior vocal training. CONCLUSIONS: School-aged drama students appear receptive to direct vocal training and vocal hygiene education, with significant gains in self-reported preparedness for using voice for performance observed following intervention.

Does a Five-Day Drama Program Support Men in Prison to Develop Their Self-Confidence?

This paper evaluates an established five-day drama project, designed, and delivered by a professional company, aimed to support the development of self-confidence of seven men with a history of substance misuse in a category C prison. The project involved creation of a safe space, improvised role-play, development of communication skills, and exploration of substance misuse, culminating in a performance. Audience members included prison staff, governors, healthcare staff, and prisoners. A mixed method approach was used to evaluate the project. Participant's pre and post project self-confidence and feelings of positivity were collated by a questionnaire compromising of closed questions and measured using a Likert scale. On the last day of the project qualitative interviews were conducted using open ended questions. The findings conclude that the use of drama can support development of self-confidence in men in prison. The project encouraged skills such as, commitment, communication, collaboration, and motivation enhancing the likelihood of rehabilitation and promoting crime abstinence. Further research with a larger sample size will identify if the changes the men experienced were statistically significant and maintained.