Using a literary and arts magazine to promote mental health and wellness among trainee healthcare professionals: lessons from a Canadian student-led project

Abstract

Breathe is a student-led literary and arts magazine whose goal is to provide a platform for creative expression about mental health issues and promote mental wellness among trainee healthcare professionals using student-submitted art and written pieces. Select pieces were published to improve readers’ understanding of and self-reflection on mental health. Common themes among the submissions include life outside of healthcare, imposter syndrome and coping with stress. This novel project had high satisfaction reported by 87.5% of surveyed readers. We advocate for improved mental health awareness and increased use of artistic expression as a coping strategy against stressors in healthcare education worldwide.