Virtual Poetry Workshops to Enhance Patient Well Being and Reduce Anxiety

Overview

This study examines whether participating in poetry workshops can improve emotional well-being among patients with chronic digestive symptoms. Many individuals with long-standing digestive conditions experience distress, anxiety, isolation, and difficulty expressing their emotions in clinical settings. These emotional challenges can negatively affect daily life, relationships, and overall health. Poetry writing offers a creative and supportive way for participants to explore their feelings, express their experiences, and build emotional resilience. It also allows individuals to focus on aspects of their identity beyond their illness. The purpose of this research is to evaluate whether poetry workshops can reduce anxiety, lessen feelings of isolation, and strengthen participants' sense of community and well being. 1\. Why is this study being done? The purpose of this research study is to offer a creative outlet for patients to explore their identity and story, build resilience, and seek hope. This study is being done because we understand that the psychological discomfort that can come upon hearing a diagnosis can lead to increased anxiety levels, negatively impacting a patient's well-being and relationships. Often healthcare practitioners may merely view a patient through the lens of their diagnosis, neglecting other aspects of their identity and humanity. Through reading various poems, crafting their own poems, and sharing their work with their peers, we hope the workshops offer a comforting opportunity for the participants to explore their identities and creativity.

Upon hearing a diagnosis, patients can feel overwhelmed and apprehensive as they experience a loss of control over their current state of health. This psychological discomfort combined with often life-threatening symptoms can result in increased anxiety levels in patients. While patient anxiety levels remain a critical issue for investigation, patients diagnosed with illnesses such as cancer often experience a lack of attention from providers towards their psychological wellbeing (Rickett et al. 2011). As a result, patients can feel consumed by their emotions and find difficulty in navigating the psychological complexities of a diagnosis. The arts, especially poetry, can provide a powerful vessel through which patients can authentically and vulnerably communicate the myriad of emotions they experience. While poetry may not alter the reality of a diagnosis, it can help shift the patient's attitude from one of fear to one of hope. In addition, the active practice of writing poetry can present an opportunity for patients to regain a sense of control and recognize how their identity is more than their diagnosis. Moreover, patients are rarely asked "What does this all mean to you?" when they are diagnosed with an illness (Rickett et al. 2011). Poetry workshops can serve as a "transformational space" where patients can reflect on their illness journey and seek meaning in their experiences (Rickett et al. 2011). In addition, poetry workshops can offer opportunities for community building and engagement which "is rare within the highly clinical treatment environment" (Tegner et al. 2009). By sharing poems with one another, patients can seek unity in their experiences and lend support to one another, leading to reductions in isolation. It has been reported that poetry can enhance skills such as listening, attentiveness, and observation which are all critical for relationship building (Barrett et al. 2020). Previous studies have assessed the effects of poetry workshops on patients with serious illnesses; however, the need for more information surrounding this interdisciplinary approach remains pertinent. One study found that poetry therapy interventions improved both emotional resilience and anxiety in cancer patients (Tegner et. al 2009). In another study, poetry intervention was reported to have led to significant decreases in sadness, worry, and fatigue in hospitalized pediatric patients (Delamerced 2021). This study aims to take both a qualitative and quantitative approach to understanding how poetry workshops can foster community, lessen anxiety, and enhance emotional well-being among patients diagnosed with at least moderate dyspepsia and moderate anxiety or depression