Why does this matter?
Empathy: dismissed by Elon Musk as a ‘fundamental weakness of western civilization’; hailed by Jacinda Ardern as ‘what the world needs more of.’ In healthcare, empathy is a critical pressure point. Reports such as the Francis Report and the Ockendon Review
(2022) have identified a lack of empathy as a key factor in communication breakdowns. Declining empathy and self-empathy are also linked to clinician burnout and workforce demoralisation. This project explores how literary arts can nurture empathy and emotional resilience in healthcare, responding to national calls for strategies to support the future health and social care workforce.
Literary arts have been shown to foster perspective-taking and imaginative curiosity in medical education. At the Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare, we have been exploring the power of creativity to enhance and maintain empathy for medical students Creative empathy | Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare | University of Leicester through shared reading, creative writing and reflective practice. This project builds on that research to take it out to new audiences, connecting it with wider research into empathy and literature, and contemporary creative practice.
Research questions
1. Literature and Empathy
What can literature past and present teach us about listening, perspective and human connection? How can historical and cultural understanding of literature help us think differently about empathy?
2. Difficulty and Difference
How do we respond when experiences are challenging, unfamiliar or uncomfortable? How can creativity help us work with complexity rather than avoid it?
3. Creative Practice
What can we learn from successful creative health projects already transforming lives and communities? How might literary and creative approaches be translated into practical tools for healthcare professionals and teams?
4. New Possibilities
How might these ideas influence healthcare practice, education, policy and public understanding in the future?