Posted by Phillipa on October 31, 2011, at 23:15:54
More empathetic psychiatric students result from a novel approach. Experience Auditory Hallucinations, And Psychosis. Interesting and Novel Read. Phillipa
Medscape Medical News from the:
American Psychiatric Association 2011 Institute on Psychiatric Services (APA-IPS)This coverage is not sanctioned by, nor a part of, the American Psychiatric Association.
From Medscape Medical News > Psychiatry
Novel Teaching Tool Simulates Psychosis for Medical Students
Barbara BoughtonAuthors and Disclosures
October 31, 2011 (San Francisco, California) A recent study reveals that using a novel technique that simulates the experience of auditory hallucinations, using a recording that starts with barely audible noises and builds toward 3 distinct and disturbing voices, can be a powerful way to teach medical students about psychosis, according to researchers here at the American Psychiatric Association 2011 Institute on Psychiatric Services (APA-IPS).
In the study of 240 medical students at the University of Toledo, Ohio, an overwhelming percentage of those who went through the simulation exercise (almost 99%) felt that the experience helped them realize the daily challenges faced by people with psychosis, and 95% thought it would help them provide better treatment to those with mental illness, according to presenting author Indrani Naskar, MD.
After hearing the simulation, the medical students completed a survey that assessed their reactions to the experience. Almost 80% of the medical students who went through the exercise said they were not able to concentrate while listening to the simulation, and 85% found the "voices" to be disturbing, Dr. Naskar said.
"As well as hearing the tape recording of voices, the medical students had to perform tasks at the same time, such as walking around, reading a scientific journal and giving a presentation about it, and even calling an insurance company," she added.
Striking Results
"There were some striking results: Most students said they had developed more empathy toward people with auditory hallucinations and had newfound respect for those with psychosis," said Dr. Naskar.
She noted that after going through the exercise, most of the medical students said they would have more awareness of the ways in which mental illness might affect patients' daily lives and their ability to function.
The 40-minute auditory experience, followed by a debriefing session and a discussion with the medical school's clerkship director, accomplished what hours of didactic instruction about mental illness could not, Dr. Naskar said.
"It offered students a glimpse into the lived experience of people with severe mental illness," she said.
Such experiential learning opportunities about mental illness may prove to be powerful tools for removing stigma and educating undergraduates and graduate students about the symptoms of those with psychiatric disorders, Dr. Naskar said.
Increases Empathy
The recording used by the University of Toledo researchers is part of a curriculum sold by the National Empowerment Center via their Web site. It was designed by Patricia Deegan, PhD, who has a psychotic disorder, as well as by other patients who have experienced auditory hallucinations.
The recording culminates with strong voices that make statements such as "You're dirty," or even command suicide, much as the "voices" heard by a patient with psychosis would do. However, students were given the option of stopping the exercise if it proved too disturbing for them, Dr. Naskar said.
After hearing the auditory hallucinations recording, one medical student said: "I'm a control freak, and I could not stand the fact that the voices made me feel completely out of control."
This novel method of introducing medical students to the symptoms of mental illness and psychosis could be extremely valuable for them, commented Helen Lavretsky, MD, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, Semel Institute and director of the Late-Life Depression, Stress and Wellness Research Program.
"This is an example of using technology to introduce medical students to real-life psychopathology and the features of psychiatric illness," Dr. Lavretsky said. "Psychiatry is still a mysterious science to many medical students, but this type of demonstration could increase their empathy for patients with mental illness," she added.
Dr. Naskar and Dr. Lavretsky have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
American Psychiatric Association 2011 Institute on Psychiatric Services (APA-IPS): Abstract 3-19. Presented October 28, 2011.
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