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The Doctor, the Breath and Thomas Bernhard

Using Novels in Health Psychology

Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands, a.a.kaptein{at}lumc.nl

Antonia C. Lyons

Massey University, New Zealand

The use of literature in medical education has increased greatly in recent years, as attested to by growth in the medical humanities field. In this article we argue that literary texts may be beneficial for use in health psychology, illustrated by an analysis of patient—physician interaction in the novel Breath by Thomas Bernhard. Reading novels can impact on people's health-related behaviours. Using novels in our teaching and training can illustrate that there are alternative, useful ways of gaining health-related knowledge beyond objective, scientific rationality. Novels are able to show health, illness, disability and suffering in their full human, social and spiritual contexts, and therefore should be considered seriously in our health psychology endeavours.

Key Words: medical humanities • narratives • patient—physician communication • qualitative research • respiratory illness

Journal of Health Psychology, Vol. 14, No. 2, 161-170 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1359105308100200


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