The focus of our conference in 2019 was Adolescence, Literature, and Mental Health
Can literature and narrative improve the lives of young people?
This one-day programme of talks and workshops brought together literary and humanities scholars with service users and practitioners in the field of child and adolescent mental health. Together we asked questions about the role of literature as a point of therapeutic engagement in caring for children, adolescents, and young people.
We were interested in how literature might play a role when we experience pain, trauma, and stress, as well as the ways in which literature might be employed as a tool to improve communication and foster understanding between medical learners, healthcare providers, service users, and family members.
The videos from the day are available on vimeo at the links below:
First keynote
- Joanne Dunphy (Vice Principal, Oxford Spires Academy), ‘Being Heard’
Presentations
- Dr Gordon Bates (MBChB, MMedSc; PhD Candidate at the University of Birkbeck), ‘”A Lot of You Cared, Just Not Enough”: Teen Suicide in Popular Culture’
- Dr Edward Harcourt (Faculty of Philosophy, Oxford and Director of Research, AHRC), ‘Emotional Self-Regulation and Autonomy’
- Dr Gaby Illingworth and Dr Rachel Sharman (Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences), ‘The Teensleep Study: Sleep Education in UK Schools’
- Dr Jacqueline Yallop (Senior Lecturer in English and Creative Writing, Aberystwyth University), ‘Writing Pain Wales: Working with Creative Writing and Chronic Pain’
Second keynote
- Barbara Wren (Consultant Psychologist, Wren Psychology Associates and Royal Free London NHS Trust), ‘Story and Meaning: Using Narrative to Explore the Impact of Caring for Children and Young‘
See reactions to the event from attendees here