Correspondence to Dr Jennifer Jane Hardes, Department of Sociology, Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent CT1 1QU, UK; jennifer.hardes{at}canterbury.ac.uk The positive relationship between ...

Should medical humanities become part of the core curriculum in medicine? This paper describes the experiences of one medical school that decided it should. The paper describes the professional and ...

The human gut has been viewed for centuries as a potential mediator of systemic disease. The theory of autointoxication, which found its clearest articulation in the late nineteenth and early ...

This paper explores narrative literature as a means of inquiry into the sense of self in depression. Described as a disease, an identity and a way of life, depression is influenced by both internal ...

Despite the popularity of reading groups, and the increased number of general-practitioner-referred bibliotherapy schemes in the UK, there has been relatively little research on the effects of reading ...

In 1964, Simone de Beauvoir, arguably one of the greatest writers of 20th century Europe, published an account of the final 6 weeks of her mother’s life. It is a beautifully written, raw, honest, and ...

Most commentators draw a sharp distinction between therapy and enhancement, applauding therapy and rejecting enhancement. Not only is this distinction unclear but enhancement is often seen in ...

Correspondence to Professor Brendan D Kelly, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Tallaght Hospital, Dublin 24, Ireland; brendankelly35{at}gmail.com ...

This article combines ethnographic interpretations with analyses of the conceptual history of empathy. Moving beyond the more common notions, which often rely in psychological theories and ...

The Dutch graphic novel Naasten, about palliative family caregiving, is the product of an interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers and two comic artists. This paper aims to present lessons, ...

Compared with self-help bibliotherapy, little is known about the efficacy of creative bibliotherapy or the mechanisms of its possible efficacy for eating disorders or any other mental health condition ...

Unwieldy by nature, unsolicited diaries and their study, this article contends, have the potential to offer deeper insights into the experience of illness but only if they receive due consideration ...