Learning about social suffering through illness narrative: possibilities and challenges
Abstract Background Understanding social determinants of health is a crucial aspect of holistic healthcare, and cultivating empathy toward patients’ suffering is increasingly recognized as a core competency for healthcare professionals. Although previous studies have examined the efficacy of narrati...
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| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07569-x |
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| author | Young-Gyung Paik Jidong Sung |
| author_facet | Young-Gyung Paik Jidong Sung |
| author_sort | Young-Gyung Paik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Understanding social determinants of health is a crucial aspect of holistic healthcare, and cultivating empathy toward patients’ suffering is increasingly recognized as a core competency for healthcare professionals. Although previous studies have examined the efficacy of narrative medicine-based education in enhancing empathic responses to patients, the possibility of learning concept of “social suffering” through patient illness narrative remains underexplored. Methods This study presents a qualitative analysis of short essays submitted by forty second-year medical students at a single medical school after a class based on narrative medicine principle. The students analyzed and interpreted a transcript of a patient with hypertension, revealing various dimensions of the illness experience, including anxiety regarding the disease, aversion to antihypertensive medications, and encounters with stigmatization and discrimination in the workplace. Using an iterative coding process with both inductive and deductive elements, we identified patterns in how students conceptualized suffering and engaged with social dimensions of illness. Results Our analysis yielded three major themes: (1) categorical framings of suffering, (2) emerging recognition of narrative complexity, and (3) limited engagement with structural dimensions of social suffering. While students readily identified physical and psychological aspects of suffering, most demonstrated surface-level engagement with social dimensions. The students’ responses revealed challenges in moving beyond individualistic frameworks to recognize how social, cultural, and institutional factors shape illness experiences in Korean society. Conclusion While the narrative medicine approach successfully fostered recognition of suffering’s complexity and the importance of empathy, students’ limited engagement with social suffering suggests the need for curricular enhancements. We propose a spiral curriculum that progressively deepens students’ understanding of social determinants of health, integrates qualitative research methodologies, and explicitly addresses Korean sociocultural contexts that shape illness experiences. This approach may better equip future physicians to recognize and address social suffering in their clinical practice. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7152e8483c254758a093dd3f707f2b36 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-7152e8483c254758a093dd3f707f2b362025-08-20T03:38:14ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202025-07-012511910.1186/s12909-025-07569-xLearning about social suffering through illness narrative: possibilities and challengesYoung-Gyung Paik0Jidong Sung1Department of Sociology, College of Humanities, Jeju National UniversityDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Prevention & Rehabilitation Center, Heart Vascular & Stroke Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Medical CenterAbstract Background Understanding social determinants of health is a crucial aspect of holistic healthcare, and cultivating empathy toward patients’ suffering is increasingly recognized as a core competency for healthcare professionals. Although previous studies have examined the efficacy of narrative medicine-based education in enhancing empathic responses to patients, the possibility of learning concept of “social suffering” through patient illness narrative remains underexplored. Methods This study presents a qualitative analysis of short essays submitted by forty second-year medical students at a single medical school after a class based on narrative medicine principle. The students analyzed and interpreted a transcript of a patient with hypertension, revealing various dimensions of the illness experience, including anxiety regarding the disease, aversion to antihypertensive medications, and encounters with stigmatization and discrimination in the workplace. Using an iterative coding process with both inductive and deductive elements, we identified patterns in how students conceptualized suffering and engaged with social dimensions of illness. Results Our analysis yielded three major themes: (1) categorical framings of suffering, (2) emerging recognition of narrative complexity, and (3) limited engagement with structural dimensions of social suffering. While students readily identified physical and psychological aspects of suffering, most demonstrated surface-level engagement with social dimensions. The students’ responses revealed challenges in moving beyond individualistic frameworks to recognize how social, cultural, and institutional factors shape illness experiences in Korean society. Conclusion While the narrative medicine approach successfully fostered recognition of suffering’s complexity and the importance of empathy, students’ limited engagement with social suffering suggests the need for curricular enhancements. We propose a spiral curriculum that progressively deepens students’ understanding of social determinants of health, integrates qualitative research methodologies, and explicitly addresses Korean sociocultural contexts that shape illness experiences. This approach may better equip future physicians to recognize and address social suffering in their clinical practice.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07569-xIllness narrativeSocial sufferingMedical educationEmpathyNarrative medicineQualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Young-Gyung Paik Jidong Sung Learning about social suffering through illness narrative: possibilities and challenges BMC Medical Education Illness narrative Social suffering Medical education Empathy Narrative medicine Qualitative research |
| title | Learning about social suffering through illness narrative: possibilities and challenges |
| title_full | Learning about social suffering through illness narrative: possibilities and challenges |
| title_fullStr | Learning about social suffering through illness narrative: possibilities and challenges |
| title_full_unstemmed | Learning about social suffering through illness narrative: possibilities and challenges |
| title_short | Learning about social suffering through illness narrative: possibilities and challenges |
| title_sort | learning about social suffering through illness narrative possibilities and challenges |
| topic | Illness narrative Social suffering Medical education Empathy Narrative medicine Qualitative research |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07569-x |
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