Medical education and creative writing: Poetry and how it can assist trainees in developing psychiatric formulation skills.

OBJECTIVE: To reflect on the importance of teaching formulation skills in psychiatry training and explore how creative writing, particularly writing poetry, can help achieve this goal. CONCLUSIONS: It is vital that formulation skills are embedded throughout psychiatry training. Formulations have an artistic element, and writing poetry can help foster a capacity for curiosity that can assist trainees in developing these skills.

"We are the future": Advant-aged women speak-out through spoken word poetry.

This study aims to investigate women between the ages of 50 and 70 who write and perform spoken word poetry, through which they wish to lead positive social change, by turning the culture of silence into open discourse. This period represents a new phase of life. These women are at an "in-between" phase of being no longer young but not yet old and are between life roles. This is a new age group that has not yet been studied. We argue that this stage of life requires a new term. The term chosen for this study is advant-age because it implies the advantages and opportunities that this period of life affords. Although this group of women is growing in relation to the general population, the ageism and sexism they experience are increasing, creating a gradual process of social exclusion and reduction in their agency. Spoken Word Poetry (SWP) is written on a page but performed live in front of an audience. It is a poetic piece that includes rhythm, rhyme, and sometimes humor, which help convey complex messages with finesse. The importance of the current research lies in revealing a new and unresearched social phenomenon that has been developing in Israel in recent years: Advant-aged women are discussing issues that society usually silences, using methods that traditionally have been associated with younger groups. Through SWP, advant-aged women are enabling the possibility of raising these issues for public discussion and creating an opportunity for social change.

Soft diamonds: poetic sentiment, poetic speech, and poetic specimen in the clinical hour.

Three links between poetry and psychoanalysis are highlighted in this paper. These refer to the presence, in the clinical hour, of (i) poetic sentiment, (ii) poetic speech, and (iii) poetic specimen. Each is elucidated in detail and with the help of socio-clinical vignettes. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate that, through the affirmative holding and partial unmasking of the instinctual-epistemic conflation in verse and free-association, both poetry and psychoanalysis seek to transform the private into shared, the hideous into elegant, and the unfathomable into accessible.

Risking at the Rocks.

This article uses storytelling and poetry to emphasize the core concepts of taking a risk while highlighting the mystique of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Utilizing Poetry as Spiritual Care for Hospital Staff.

This personal reflection emphasizes the potential benefits of poetry for interfaith spiritual and pastoral support of medical professionals. Details are provided for the implementation of several successful practices, including an Intensive Care Unit Poetry Basket, Portable Poetry with Aromatherapy Towelette Hand Blessings, and Presenting Poems to Nurse Practice Council. The references include the poetry used in the spiritual care activities and the author also provided a helpful "Further Resources" section.

The Day Disparities Died.

For many, many years, the public health community has grappled with health disparities. Reducing and/or eliminating health disparities are well-established goals, and have become a fixture in the public health space. The focus on health disparity elimination has permeated policy, resources, institutions of higher learning, and research agendas, to name a few. As a Black female public health professional, I believe that we play a central role in moving the country from a place of disparity to equity. Not only are our professional experiences critical for advancing public health, but our lived experiences can also contribute to the transformation that we all seek. This piece, titled "The Day Disparities Died," reflects this belief. To view the original version of this poem, see the supplemental material section of this article online.

The Black Saturday bushfire disaster: found poetry for arts-based knowledge translation in disaster risk and climate change communication.

This research uses the arts-based research method of found poetry, the creation of poem-like prose from existing text, to share the lived experience of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfire disaster in Australia which killed 173 people. After outlining the processes, this paper applies found poetry to an existing text: Peg Fraser's book, Black Saturday. Five found poems are shared, each conveying a different element of the disaster experience: "Armageddon," "Go - GET OUT," "Bushfire Chook," "Resisting the Poetry Tree," and "Lucky". Compared to normal prose, there is an authentic and vulnerable vibrancy to the language of these found poems, which offer unexpected visceral insight into the bushfire experience - the fear, the heat, the confusion, the anger, and the loss. Poetry, which resonates and draws people in emotionally, has significant potential as arts-based knowledge translation in disaster risk and climate change communication.

Bearing witness poetically in a pandemic: documenting suffering and care in conditions of physical isolation and uncertainty.

The COVID-19 crisis is still affecting millions of people worldwide. However, government and mass media attention to the continuing loss of life, severe illness and prolonged effects of COVID-19 has subsided, rendering the suffering of those who have become ill or disabled, or who have lost loved ones to the disease, largely hidden from view. In this article, we employ autoethnographic poetic inquiry from the perspective of a mother/carer whose young adult daughter became critically ill and hospitalised after becoming infected while the mother herself was isolating at home due to her own COVID-19 diagnosis. The first author created a poem from notes she had made in a journal from telephone conversations and messages with the healthcare providers caring for her daughter. The second author responded to the poem, identifying the feelings and meanings it surfaced. Together, the authors draw on scholarship discussing concepts of uncertainty, liminality, moral distress, bearing witness and illness narratives to reflect on how autoethnographic poetic inquiry can document and make visible COVID-19-related suffering.

Interaction between creation and appreciation: How linguistic art creation impacts the aesthetic evaluation of haiku poetry and ink paintings.

In the psychology of aesthetics, compared with appreciation, there are fewer studies on art creation. This study aims to examine the influence of art creation on appreciation using haiku poetry with reference to the Mirror Model-a process model combining creation and appreciation. Although the model has been primarily used to examine visual arts, we examine its applicability to linguistic arts. In addition, we use ink painting to examine whether a generalisation across artistic genres can occur. The 115 participants were divided into two conditions-creation and control. The former created haiku before and after appreciation, while the latter did not create any haiku. The results showed no improvement in evaluation through creation. Additionally, recognising the difficulty related to creation leads to aesthetic evaluation, and this relationship is mediated by awe. These results expand the existing information regarding the Mirror Model in terms of the different art genres.

Creating comics, songs and poems to make sense of decolonising the curriculum: a collaborative autoethnography patchwork.

Decolonising the curriculum is a complex endeavour, with the potential to cause harm as well as benefit. People doing the work might find themselves questioning their personal and political identities and motives, it is common for people to get disillusioned. While surveys and toolkits are important to help us start the work, we are interested in finding out how decolonising practices can be sustained. We believe to practise meaningfully in this area we need to understand ourselves as practitioners, make sense of the work and have deep connections with colleagues and possibly our institutions.This research uses collaborative autoethnography; our personal experiences, reflected through the lenses of each other's point of view; to help us know ourselves and make sense of our practice. We also show how art, in the form of comics, poems and a song, can be used to deepen our research by adding meaning, connection and joy. We present this research as a patchwork text of writing, art and conversations. Our work is underpinned by theory, particularly drawing on Sara Ahmed and bell hooks. It is produced by the three of us to illuminate the process of decolonising a curriculum. We see this paper as part of our collective resistance: resistance to colonialism, to scientism and to inhumanity. We hope you will find resonances with your practice, and perhaps discover new ways to find meaning and connections.

Albológica sine die: De vivencias que habitan memorias donde subsiste la figura y la obra de Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez (1957-2023) / Albológica sine die: De experiências que habitam memórias onde vivem a figura e a obra de Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez (1957-2023) / Albológica sine die: Of experiences that inhabit memories where the figure and work of Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez (1957-2023) subsists

The objective of this article is to vividly evoke the shared experiences with Professor and researcher Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez and to explicitly outline the most significant aspects of his contribution to the history of medicine and nursing, based on both historical research and narrative, highlighting his strong commitment and dedication to literary sources. The methodology employed has focused on autobiography, recalling shared moments in academic, artistic, literary, and leisure contexts; that is, the creation of autobiographical life stories focused on the times when various interactions occurred between Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez and the author. The results demonstrate the importance of Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez's contributions to the history of medicine and nursing. Likewise, the great humanistic quality of the mentioned researcher is evident. Conclusions: Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez, through the cultivation of his favorite passions—historical research, literature, drawing, painting, and art in general—emerged as a profound humanist who positively influenced the education of historians in the fields of medicine and nursing.(AU)

El objetivo de este artículo consiste en evocar de forma nítida las vivencias compartidas con el profesor e investigador Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez y explicitar los aspectos más significativos de su aportación a la historia de la medicina y la enfermería basadas tanto en la investigación histórica como en la narrativa resaltando su gran compromiso y dedicación con las fuentes literarias. La metodología empleada se ha centrado en la autobiografía rememorando momentos compartidos en contextos académicos, artísticos, literarios y de puro ocio; es decir en la elaboración de relatos de vida autobiográficos enfocados a los tiempos en los que se han producido interacciones de diversa índole entre Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez y el autor. Los resultados muestran la importancia de las aportaciones de Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez a la historia de la medicina y la historia de la enfermería. Asimismo, queda demostrada la gran calidad humanística del mencionado investigador. Conclusiones: Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez, mediante el cultivo de sus predilectas pasiones: la investigación histórica, la literatura, el dibujo, la pintura y el arte en general; se erigió en un humanista de gran calado que incidió positivamente en la formación de historiadores de la medicina y la enfermería.(AU)

O objetivo deste artigo é evocar de forma nítida as experiências compartilhadas com o professor e pesquisador Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez e explicitar os aspectos mais significativos de sua contribuição para a história da medicina e enfermagem, com base tanto na pesquisa histórica quanto na narrativa, destacando seu grande comprometimento e dedicação às fontes literárias. A metodologia utilizada concentrou-se na autobiografia, recordando momentos compartilhados em contextos acadêmicos, artísticos, literários e de lazer; ou seja, na elaboração de relatos de vida autobiográficos focados nos momentos em que ocorreram interações de diversas naturezas entre Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez e o autor. Os resultados mostram a importância das contribuições de Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez para a história da medicina e enfermagem. Da mesma forma, a grande qualidade humanística do referido pesquisador fica evidente. Conclusões: Francisco Herrera-Rodríguez, por meio do cultivo de suas paixões preferidas - pesquisa histórica, literatura, desenho, pintura e arte em geral - tornou-se um humanista de grande envergadura que teve um impacto positivo na formação de historiadores da medicina e enfermagem.(AU)

Poetry in youth mutual aid groups for recovery in rural and semi-urban environments.

BACKGROUND: For mental disorders Mutual Aid Groups (MAG) have been proposed, however, these have lack of methodologies that approach the needs of young people. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of MAG in rural and semi-urban environments, developed through poetry, on the improvement of mental health. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was carried out in Caldas, Colombia. 171 adolescents participated, divided into 10 MAG. Child Behavior Checklist 4-18 (CBCL/4-18) was used and the nuclear components of the MAG were applied, adding elements of introduction to poetry, creation and group rituals. RESULTS: Statistically significant associations (P < .001) were found between the number of sessions and the reduction of symptoms, as well as a decrease in Internalizing Problems and Social problems, after participating in the groups. CONCLUSION: Poetry applied to the core components of the MAG can improve psychiatric symptoms in adolescents.

A randomized control trial establishing the effectiveness of using interactive television-based art, music, and poetry therapies for treating the post-traumatic stress disorder of children exposed to traumatic events.

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of interactive television-based music, art, and poetry therapies in reducing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder among school children who have experienced abduction. A randomized control trial was adopted using school children from three selected secondary schools in Northern Nigeria that have experienced the issue of kidnapping. The treatment is characterized by (1) group setting, (2) TV instruction (3) school collaboration, and (4) use of artistic mediation. The study sample comprised 470 students randomly divided into a control group of 235 and an experiment group of 235. The treatment group was further divided into art (N = 78), music (N = 78) and poetry (N = 79), respectively. Results suggest that interactive television art, music and poetry therapies are an effective intervention strategy for reducing the PTSD of school children who have experienced kidnapping in Nigeria. However, art therapy is more effective in reducing PTSD. This study has offered empirical evidence that could guide the planning and implementation of therapies aimed at assisting school children to recover from traumatic experiences.

Dementia Arts Mapping: observational methods for documenting impacts of poetry and recreation in care settings.

BACKGROUND: Long-term care homes for older and disabled adults, including those who are living with dementia, facilitate a diversity of recreational activities and program as social interventions. The relationships between interventional elements and participant impacts are not well understood. METHODS: This paper explores a poetry methodology and reports the findings from a pilot test of Dementia Arts Mapping, a novel ethnographic observational technique, to better understand impacts of poetry and recreation on people living with dementia in long-term care settings. Between 2017 and 2020, at 17 skilled nursing facilities throughout Wisconsin, researchers situated within care homes observed participants during diverse activities. RESULTS: We found poetry workshops surpassed other activities in eliciting self-expression. CONCLUSIONS: Dementia Arts Mapping is an effective instrument for generating insights about dementia care and may be further enhanced for future use in research to inform care provision to foster meaningful engagement with people with dementia.

Visual metaphor of sadness in poetry comics: a socio-cognitive perspective.

Earlier literature on conceptual metaphor studies has extensively examined verbal metaphors of sadness in different text types and with cultural variations. However, there has been by far limited research on the visual metaphor of sadness. Adopting a socio-cognitive perspective, this study investigates the conceptual metaphor of sadness in the exemplary case of Chinese poetry comics drawn by Cai Zhizhong. The findings reveal that (1) BEING SAD IS BEING CONFRONTED WITH NATURAL FORCE and BEING SAD IS BEING PHYSICALLY ISOLATED are the two most frequently occurring visual metaphors across the panels; (2) all the visual metaphors at play can be explained according to the conceptual metaphor theory; (3) SADNESS IS BITTERSWEET FOOD OR DRINK and BEING SAD IS BEING PHYSICALLY ISOLATED are two additional kinds of sadness metaphors identified; and (4) the visual metaphors of sadness with Chinese cultural variations are rooted in mainstream Chinese cultural philosophies in the relevant period of history. The article also discusses the underlying mechanisms of the investigated visual metaphors in the Chinese culture by unveiling three cultural characteristics in the particular context.

Poetry: An Avenue of Artsciencing.

As an introduction to the inaugural Artistic Expression Column, the construct of artsciencing is briefly discussed and poetry is presented as an avenue of artsciencing.

Logics of Discovery II: Lessons from Poetry-Parataxis as a Method That Can Complement the Narrative Compulsion in Vogue in Contemporary Mental Health Care.

This paper highlights the limitations of narrative logic in mental health care, and in particular of "narrative vigilance"-the tendency to watch over experience via narrativisation, and to tether the concrete particulars of experience to the hypothetical structure of a narrative signification. Narrative logic is grounded in hypotaxis-the syntactic structuring whereby a discourse is characterised by different levels of subordination using linking words that connect, especially in terms of temporal and explanatory consequentiality. I offer an alternative approach based on parataxis-the practice of placing phrases or parts of speech next to each other without subordinating conjunctions. Sentences are juxtaposed without a clear connection; the contrast may generate novel and unexpected combinations between these dissimilar fragments. After distinguishing between parataxis and psychopathological phenomena like disturbances of association, I take inspiration from the work and life of a poet, Johann Christian Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843), considered among the greatest. He suffered for half his life from a severe form of mental illness that would perhaps, today, be diagnosed as schizophrenia. In the poems written during his illness, hypotaxis and narrative vigilance seem to blur, and parataxis takes centre stage. The fading of narrative structure in no way coincides with the absence of meaningfulness. Rather, meaningfulness is left to parataxis itself, that is, to the recombining power of words, sentences, and images. Parataxis itself can provide meaningfulness or, at least, provide the soil in which it can germinate. The void of narration opens the door for the fullness of "emergent" connections. In the final part of the paper, with the help of Freud's ideas on the relationship between "analysis" and "synthesis" in psychoanalytic treatment, some implications are derived about the relevance of parataxis to the logics of discovery in psychotherapeutic care, especially that of persons with severe mental conditions.