Making It Real: From Telling to Showing, Sharing, and Doing in Psychiatric Education

Abstract

Objective: Innovations in contemporary medical education could inform remedies to address enduring challenges such as the marginalization and stigmatization of psychiatry, of mental illnesses, and of those affected by them. Methods: In blending the works of Bleakley, Bligh, and Brown (2011) and of Kumagai and Naidu (2015), we developed an overarching heuristic with practical relevance and concrete applications to psychiatric education. Results: We identify three areas to enhance psychiatric education embedded into this blended framework: 1) Showing, or the more accurate depiction or imaging of mental illnesses and of psychiatric practice, as exemplified by the incorporation into didactic content of asynchronous video-based clinical materials produced with specific educational objectives in mind; 2) Sharing, or addressing the image problem of mental illnesses, of those living with or affected by them, and of psychiatry as a profession, as exemplified by psychiatrists embracing their role as experts by professional and personal experience when sharing their own journeys with mental illness, treatment, and recovery; and 3) Doing, or reimagining reflective psychiatric practice, as exemplified by the novel methodology of co-constructive patient simulation (CCPS), through which learners can engage in reflective practice and supervision in a participatory and democratic setting that does not privilege participants' hierarchical standing. Conclusion:The blended model and the sample applications we describe offer a range of teaching, learning, and professional development opportunities, should psychiatric educators choose to pursue them and reap their promise.

The use of experiential knowledge in the role of a psychiatrist

“…Having lived experiences as a patient influences the development of the personalprofessional identity. While generally there is little room to fit a patient role into the professional, it is seen as courageous to do so (9,12). Many psychiatrists look at their own and each other's mental disorders from the medical model, which is a disorder-and deficit oriented.…”

“…Having lived experiences as a patient influences the development of the personal-professional identity. While generally there is little room to fit a patient role into the professional, it is seen as courageous to do so ( 9 , 12 ).…”

“…To disclose to patients, one should be open to colleagues first, which is not without risks, as long as the professional code of conduct and culture has not changed ( 12 ). Analytical psychotherapy warns against ‘acting out behavior’ in psychiatrists to prevent the transgressive behavior of the therapist.…”

“…Because of this, the use of experiential knowledge in the role of a psychiatrist seems to be scarcely accepted in the profession. To date, most studies have examined the use of experiential knowledge by social workers and nurses, while very few have looked into its use by psychiatrists ( 5 , 11 , 12 ).…”

Ill-Informed, Uplifted, and Unaware: A Psychiatrist Lives With a Condition Under His Purview

“…I have taught and written about mood disorders for most of my professional life [4][5][6][7][8][9]. I have shared my experiences in public in an effort to help others [10][11][12][13][14][15]. I literally wrote the book on it (edited it, at least) [16][17][18].…”