Why study narrative?
Open accessAbstract
Summary points: The processes of getting ill, being ill, getting better (or getting worse), and coping (or failing to cope) with illness, can all be thought of as enacted narratives within the wider narratives (stories) of people's lives. Narratives of illness provide a framework forapproaching a patient's problems holistically, and may uncover diagnostic and therapeutic options. Taking a history is an interpretive act; interpretation (the discernment of meaning) is central to the analysis of narratives (for example, in literary criticism). Narratives offer a method for addressing existential qualities such as inner hurt, despair, hope, grief, and moral pain which frequently accompany, and may even constitute, people's illnesses.The lost tradition of narrative should be revived in the teaching and practice of medicine.
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Patients' stories provide a context and meaning of their health problems, may be a therapeutic intervention in itself, and are important to establish a good doctor-patient relationship.
“The patients’ stories in fact provide a context and meaning of their health problems,49 which may be a therapeutic intervention in itself, and are important to establish a good doctor–patient relationship.50”
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- Authors
- Greenhalgh, T., & Hurwitz, B.
- Affiliations
- The Royal Free Hospital (GB)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- Venue
- BMJ
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 1999-01-02
- Volume
- 318
- Issue
- 7175
- Pages
- 48.1-50
- ISSN
- 0007-1447 (ISSN-L)
- 0959-8138
- 1468-5833
- PMC
- PMC1114541
- OpenAlex
- W2019983016
- Cited by
- 761
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 35 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 45 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 35 · 2016: 40 · 2015: 41 · 2014: 34 · 2013: 34 · 2012: 27
- FWCI
- 9.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Licence
- www.bmj.com/company/legal-information/terms-conditions/legal-information/tdm-licencepolicy (tdm)
- Locations
- BMJ (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Empathy and Medical Education
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Medicine, History, and Philosophy
- Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative research in health
- Keywords
- illness narratives, narrative medicine, medical history, interpretation, holistic care, coping with illness, existential suffering, medical education
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