The mental health benefits of storytelling for health care workers | Laurel Braitman

Summary

Laurel Braitman, a writer-in-residence at Stanford Medical School, discusses the power of storytelling and vulnerability in healthcare training. She highlights how sharing personal struggles, including anxiety, depression, and loss, helps medical students and professionals reconnect with their humanity. Braitman’s work with the Medicine and the Muse program shows that creating spaces for healthcare workers to open up about their emotions significantly reduces distress. By fostering empathy, communication, and a culture of vulnerability, Braitman believes we can support both the mental health of medical professionals and the quality of care they provide to patients.

Takeaways

• 😀 Writing and storytelling are used to teach communication skills to medical professionals, helping them reconnect with their initial motivations for entering healthcare.
• 😀 Many medical students and healthcare workers experience significant mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, even before they become doctors.
• 😀 Vulnerability and sharing personal stories in healthcare education have been shown to reduce distress and improve emotional well-being in medical students and professionals.
• 😀 Almost 30% of American medical students are depressed, and physicians have one of the highest suicide rates among professions, making mental health a critical issue in medicine.
• 😀 Physicians are often taught to suppress their emotions and vulnerabilities, which can contribute to burnout, isolation, and job dissatisfaction.
• 😀 Storytelling workshops offer a safe space for healthcare workers to practice vulnerability, build resilience, and find meaning in their work, contributing to a healthier work environment.
• 😀 Through storytelling, medical students can rediscover the passion that first drew them to medicine, reminding them of their calling to help others.
• 😀 Creativity is a key component of medicine that extends beyond specific creative professions, with storytelling allowing healthcare professionals to process their emotions and connect with others.
• 😀 Sharing personal stories not only benefits the storyteller but also creates a sense of community and belonging, fostering a supportive culture among peers.
• 😀 Vulnerability in medicine can inspire positive change, such as advocating for more visibility and inclusion for students with disabilities, as demonstrated by Maite Van Hentenryck’s story.
• 😀 The impact of storytelling in healthcare education goes beyond emotional support, showing measurable reductions in distress (36-51%) and fostering a culture of vulnerability and care.

Q & A

What is the Medicine and the Muse Program, and who started it?

The Medicine and the Muse Program is an initiative designed to reintroduce the humanities into medical education. It was founded by Audrey Shafer, a poet and anesthesiologist, with the goal of enhancing communication skills, storytelling, and emotional well-being among healthcare workers.

What kinds of essays did Laurel Braitman initially expect from her students?

Laurel Braitman expected to receive essays focused on topics like dissecting cadavers and poems about medical topics such as the spleen. However, she was surprised to find that many students instead wrote about their own personal struggles, including anxiety, depression, and thoughts of suicide.

What was one of the primary concerns that Braitman noticed among her medical students?

Braitman observed that many of her medical students were struggling with mental health challenges, including depression and anxiety. Despite not yet being doctors, many questioned whether they had chosen the right profession, and some even contemplated suicide.

How does the program help healthcare workers with emotional well-being?

The program helps healthcare workers by providing opportunities to share their personal stories in workshops. These workshops, often held in relaxed environments with good food, allow participants to practice vulnerability, reconnect with their initial motivations for choosing medicine, and improve their communication skills.

Why is vulnerability important in healthcare, according to Laurel Braitman?

Vulnerability is essential because it fosters meaningful connections between healthcare workers, their colleagues, and patients. Sharing personal stories helps individuals feel less isolated and allows them to recognize their shared humanity, which can lead to better emotional well-being and more empathetic care.

What impact did sharing personal stories have on the medical students involved in the program?

Sharing personal stories had a positive impact on medical students, helping them feel more connected to their peers and reaffirming their sense of purpose in the medical profession. It also led to a decrease in stress and distress, with participants reporting improvements in their emotional well-being.

What does Braitman mean by the metaphor of 'raising a flag up a flagpole' in relation to sharing stories?

Braitman uses the metaphor of 'raising a flag up a flagpole' to describe the act of sharing a vulnerable story. When people resonate with the story, they come to stand under the flag, creating a sense of solidarity and connection with others who share similar experiences or emotions.

What role does storytelling play in helping healthcare workers, according to Braitman?

Storytelling helps healthcare workers by providing a way to process and share their emotions, reducing isolation and improving mental health. It also allows them to connect with patients and colleagues on a deeper, more empathetic level, enhancing communication and care.

What are the results of the research conducted by Candice Kim regarding storytelling workshops?

Candice Kim's research found that students who participated in storytelling workshops experienced a significant decrease in distress, with reductions ranging from 36% to 51%. These benefits were found to last for at least a month after participation.

Why does Braitman believe that being human is a 'terminal condition'?

Braitman uses the phrase 'being human is a terminal condition' to highlight the universal truth that all humans will eventually die. She suggests that this shared mortality makes it even more important for healthcare workers to embrace their humanity, communicate meaningfully, and prioritize emotional well-being, both for themselves and their patients.