About the Founder of Beyond The Body
Tara Riddell is a first year psychiatry resident at McMaster University. She completed both her medical degree, as well as an Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at Dalhousie University. Throughout her post-secondary schooling, Tara always had an interest in mental health and psychiatry, which further developed into a passion in medical school and then flourished into a career upon entering residency.
The idea for Beyond The Body first arose while brainstorming for a Professional Competencies class assignment early in 2013. Having just completed the second year psychiatry unit, Tara had been disappointed with the lack of training and education that had been provided over a few short weeks. It was also made clear by students that psychiatry was a "love or hate" specialty, and it seemed many more sided with the hate side for a number of reasons including the perceived lack of respect and admiration for the profession, the apprehension about constantly handling emotional and challenging patient encounters, the lack of good insight and knowledge into the area, or simply believing that it just wasn't a "good fit" for them. Regardless of the reason for not enjoying or pursuing psychiatry, Tara feared that those who went into other areas of medicine would completely forget about mental health and disregard psychiatry as soon as exams were over, even though they would undoubtedly come in contact with patients who had mental health concerns and psychiatric disorders in any career they ended up choosing. As a result, the idea to create an educational resource for students was born; the goal of which would be to support and enhance students' knowledge of mental health and psychiatry.
After the basic concept was in place, the rest came together easily as Tara combined her interest in mental health and psychiatry and the need for further education and exposure for students and health professionals, with her love of writing and previous experiences in using social media like blogs. It was decided that Beyond The Body would have a presence on both Twitter and Facebook, and following feedback from her classmates, it would also have its own website so as to provide better longevity and allow for enhanced archiving.
While the start of Beyond The Body was developed for a school project, it is Tara's plan to continue running it for the foreseeable future. By doing so, it can continuously provide medical students with opportunities to expand their understanding of mental health, and be a resource they can refer to not only during their medical school careers, but also during residency and even into their future practices.
The idea for Beyond The Body first arose while brainstorming for a Professional Competencies class assignment early in 2013. Having just completed the second year psychiatry unit, Tara had been disappointed with the lack of training and education that had been provided over a few short weeks. It was also made clear by students that psychiatry was a "love or hate" specialty, and it seemed many more sided with the hate side for a number of reasons including the perceived lack of respect and admiration for the profession, the apprehension about constantly handling emotional and challenging patient encounters, the lack of good insight and knowledge into the area, or simply believing that it just wasn't a "good fit" for them. Regardless of the reason for not enjoying or pursuing psychiatry, Tara feared that those who went into other areas of medicine would completely forget about mental health and disregard psychiatry as soon as exams were over, even though they would undoubtedly come in contact with patients who had mental health concerns and psychiatric disorders in any career they ended up choosing. As a result, the idea to create an educational resource for students was born; the goal of which would be to support and enhance students' knowledge of mental health and psychiatry.
After the basic concept was in place, the rest came together easily as Tara combined her interest in mental health and psychiatry and the need for further education and exposure for students and health professionals, with her love of writing and previous experiences in using social media like blogs. It was decided that Beyond The Body would have a presence on both Twitter and Facebook, and following feedback from her classmates, it would also have its own website so as to provide better longevity and allow for enhanced archiving.
While the start of Beyond The Body was developed for a school project, it is Tara's plan to continue running it for the foreseeable future. By doing so, it can continuously provide medical students with opportunities to expand their understanding of mental health, and be a resource they can refer to not only during their medical school careers, but also during residency and even into their future practices.
The Story Behind Beyond The Body
Mental health issues and psychiatric disorders are a growing concern within society today. It is thought to affect 1 in 5 individuals in their lifetime (1), is a leading cause of disability (2), a major contributor of suicide (3), and one of the top three most expensive conditions in medicine to diagnose and treat (4). Despite the great burden of mental health, government funding has only been decreasing, the need for psychiatrists rising, and too many patients suffering from mental health related problems are continuing to go undiagnosed and untreated. While many barriers to adequate psychiatric care have already been identified, the most prominent being stigma or the fear of stigma from society (1), it should be noted that physicians and future physicians also contribute to the poor rates of identifying and treating this population of patients.
For example, many patients suffering from mental health complaints often first present to family practitioners, or to specialists to whom they have been referred for physical complaints that are often physical manifestations of a more emotionally and psychologically rooted problem. Research has shown that the lack of training in psychiatry and one’s personal attitude toward these patients can greatly affect a physician’s ability to recognize mental illness (5). Specifically, diagnosis of depression, the most common psychiatric disorder, is lower and less accurate among non-psychiatrist physicians (6), and rates of mental illness diagnosed in general practices do not match the higher estimates of illness within the community (5). In addition, “many students bring to psychiatry the unfavourable and stigmatizing attitudes towards patients that are common in the general population … moreover if the attitudes persist, they lessen the future doctor’s ability to detect and manage psychological problems” (7). Lastly, it has been documented in literature globally, that education in psychiatry for medical students is often lacking and time allocated to it is incredibly disproportionate given the burden and prevalence of mental health concerns and illnesses in all specialties (8).
Ultimately, there is a definite need for further education in mental health and psychiatry for medical students, specifically to address these barriers mentioned above that have been shown to negatively affect identification and care of this patient group. Therefore, Beyond The Body was created to act as an educational resource for medical students to help fill this void and improve student’s body of knowledge surrounding mental health. Regardless of what specialty students end up choosing, having insight into mental health, and a greater understanding of psychiatric conditions, and how to assess, diagnose, and treat these patients is critical and will make students better and more well-rounded physicians down the road.
The objectives of this project are:
- To cultivate a professional network in which medical students may share useful resources and engage in open discussion and communication with their peers surrounding mental health and psychiatry-related topics
- To address stigma surrounding mental health and to diminish the biases, stereotypes, and negative attitudes some healthcare professionals and students have with regards to these patients, through increasing their knowledge, insight, and understanding
- To foster a familiarity with mental health and psychiatric disorders, and provide students with tools, clinical cases, and other resources to develop a sense of comfort and skill in interacting with mental health patients in any clerkship rotation, and in addressing mental health issues in their community and future practices
References
(1) Public Health Agency of Canada [Internet]. Available from: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/miic-mmac/chap_1-eng.php.
(2) National Institute of Mental Health [Internet]. Available from: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/statistics/2LEAD_CAT.shtml.
(3) Mental Health Commission of Canada [Internet]. Available from: http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/issues/suicide?routetoken=fced8330c9d42368e183b6b396316866&terminitial=29.
(4) Soni A. The five most costly conditions, 1996 and 2006: Estimates for the US civilian noninstitutionalized population. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey – Statistical Brief 248, 2009.
(5) Wright AF. Unrecognized psychiatric illness in general practice. Br J Gen Pract. 1996; 46(407): 237-238.
(6) Cepoiu M, McCusker J, Cole MG, Sewitch M, Belzile E, Ciampi A. Recognition of depression by non-psychiatric physicians – A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med. 2008; 23(1): 25-36.
(7) Gelder MG. Psychiatry in medial education forum – A core curriculum in psychiatry for medical students [Internet]. Available from: http://www.wpanet.org/uploads/Publications/WPA_Books/Additional_Publications/WPA_Forums_on_Current_Opinion/psychiatry-in-medical-education.pdf.
(8) Thomas S, Pai N, Dawes K, Wilson C, Williams V. Updating medical school psychiatry curricular to meet projected mental health needs. Australas Psychiatry. 2013; 21(6): 578-82.
For example, many patients suffering from mental health complaints often first present to family practitioners, or to specialists to whom they have been referred for physical complaints that are often physical manifestations of a more emotionally and psychologically rooted problem. Research has shown that the lack of training in psychiatry and one’s personal attitude toward these patients can greatly affect a physician’s ability to recognize mental illness (5). Specifically, diagnosis of depression, the most common psychiatric disorder, is lower and less accurate among non-psychiatrist physicians (6), and rates of mental illness diagnosed in general practices do not match the higher estimates of illness within the community (5). In addition, “many students bring to psychiatry the unfavourable and stigmatizing attitudes towards patients that are common in the general population … moreover if the attitudes persist, they lessen the future doctor’s ability to detect and manage psychological problems” (7). Lastly, it has been documented in literature globally, that education in psychiatry for medical students is often lacking and time allocated to it is incredibly disproportionate given the burden and prevalence of mental health concerns and illnesses in all specialties (8).
Ultimately, there is a definite need for further education in mental health and psychiatry for medical students, specifically to address these barriers mentioned above that have been shown to negatively affect identification and care of this patient group. Therefore, Beyond The Body was created to act as an educational resource for medical students to help fill this void and improve student’s body of knowledge surrounding mental health. Regardless of what specialty students end up choosing, having insight into mental health, and a greater understanding of psychiatric conditions, and how to assess, diagnose, and treat these patients is critical and will make students better and more well-rounded physicians down the road.
The objectives of this project are:
- To cultivate a professional network in which medical students may share useful resources and engage in open discussion and communication with their peers surrounding mental health and psychiatry-related topics
- To address stigma surrounding mental health and to diminish the biases, stereotypes, and negative attitudes some healthcare professionals and students have with regards to these patients, through increasing their knowledge, insight, and understanding
- To foster a familiarity with mental health and psychiatric disorders, and provide students with tools, clinical cases, and other resources to develop a sense of comfort and skill in interacting with mental health patients in any clerkship rotation, and in addressing mental health issues in their community and future practices
References
(1) Public Health Agency of Canada [Internet]. Available from: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/miic-mmac/chap_1-eng.php.
(2) National Institute of Mental Health [Internet]. Available from: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/statistics/2LEAD_CAT.shtml.
(3) Mental Health Commission of Canada [Internet]. Available from: http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/issues/suicide?routetoken=fced8330c9d42368e183b6b396316866&terminitial=29.
(4) Soni A. The five most costly conditions, 1996 and 2006: Estimates for the US civilian noninstitutionalized population. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey – Statistical Brief 248, 2009.
(5) Wright AF. Unrecognized psychiatric illness in general practice. Br J Gen Pract. 1996; 46(407): 237-238.
(6) Cepoiu M, McCusker J, Cole MG, Sewitch M, Belzile E, Ciampi A. Recognition of depression by non-psychiatric physicians – A systematic literature review and meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med. 2008; 23(1): 25-36.
(7) Gelder MG. Psychiatry in medial education forum – A core curriculum in psychiatry for medical students [Internet]. Available from: http://www.wpanet.org/uploads/Publications/WPA_Books/Additional_Publications/WPA_Forums_on_Current_Opinion/psychiatry-in-medical-education.pdf.
(8) Thomas S, Pai N, Dawes K, Wilson C, Williams V. Updating medical school psychiatry curricular to meet projected mental health needs. Australas Psychiatry. 2013; 21(6): 578-82.
Why Use Social Media?
With the growing popularity of social media and web-based resources, and heavy use of such mediums by both young adults and students alike, social media seemed not only an appropriate method to use to create this educational resource, but is one that can easily be integrated into medical students’ studies. The use of social media in medical education can be supported by emerging literature, as some studies have found using such a tool in medical education to be associated with improved knowledge, skills, and attitudes and behaviours like empathy, and further promoted learner engagement (1). In addition, currently existing social media educational resources are associated with positive feedback from learners and problems with professionalism are said to be a rarity (2).
It is also the hope that by developing an educational resource within the realm of social media, the traditional boundaries of accessibility will be broken so that Beyond The Body will not only be restricted to medical students at Dalhousie University alone, but be available to medical students across Canada and even more broadly around the globe. In addition, while Beyond The Body was created with medical students in mind as the core audience, because it is accessible to all worldwide, other students, health professionals, and the public at large are strongly encouraged to use this resource and make use of the learning opportunities it provides.
References
(1) Cheston CC, Flickinger TE, Chisolm MS. Social media use in medical education: a systematic review. Acad Med. 2013; 88(6): 893-901.
(2) Cartledge P, Miller M, Phillips B. The use of social-networking sites in medical education. Med Teach. 2013; 35(10): 847-857.
It is also the hope that by developing an educational resource within the realm of social media, the traditional boundaries of accessibility will be broken so that Beyond The Body will not only be restricted to medical students at Dalhousie University alone, but be available to medical students across Canada and even more broadly around the globe. In addition, while Beyond The Body was created with medical students in mind as the core audience, because it is accessible to all worldwide, other students, health professionals, and the public at large are strongly encouraged to use this resource and make use of the learning opportunities it provides.
References
(1) Cheston CC, Flickinger TE, Chisolm MS. Social media use in medical education: a systematic review. Acad Med. 2013; 88(6): 893-901.
(2) Cartledge P, Miller M, Phillips B. The use of social-networking sites in medical education. Med Teach. 2013; 35(10): 847-857.
