As conflicts and wars rage and the climate catastrophe unfolds, increasingly large numbers of people are forced to leave their homes worldwide, embarking on a journey into the unknown. 

Refugees and asylum seekers are often portrayed in the media and popular culture either negatively as criminals or invading hoards or as helpless victims benefitting from the generosity of host countries. Layers of dehumanisation span time and space and erase their individual stories, such that many people unfamiliar with the experience of forced exile and its associated losses and trauma often struggle to comprehend its significance and the impact that it has on people and communities.  

Psychiatrists, too, will often reduce and flatten these "histories" within checklists of symptoms or signs that fit into standardised diagnostic criteria for medicolegal or service provision purposes. Many feel ill-equipped to engage with the complexities of this patient group, struggling with cultural and language barriers or negative emotions. 

Yet, stories of exile and loss, litter literature and the arts. Humans have long resorted to storytelling to communicate the depths of human experiences, not merely as an expression of trauma and loss or witnessing of history, but as an integral part of their healing and growth.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists’ training curricula included concepts such as valuing diversity, culture, multiculturalism, and asylum seekers, but there are limited resources on how trainees and psychiatrists can enrich their knowledge and skills in these topics. We propose using literature and arts as an invaluable resource for such knowledge. 

This session will provide the audience with the opportunity to learn more about the rich contribution that refugees have made to literature and the arts, with examples from contemporary novels, poetry and films that portray the human experience of forced migration and what can be learnt about human resilience and post-traumatic growth. 

It will also aim to explore the diverse ways that people who have had traumatic experiences have communicated their stories in non-medical settings and consider how this may be useful for psychiatrists in clinical practice. 

It aims to improve cultural competency through learning about the rich contribution that refugees have made to literature and the arts, with examples from contemporary novels, poetry and films that portray the human experience of forced migration and exile, focusing on human resilience and post-traumatic growth, as well as trauma and loss. 

Dr Yasir Hameed, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Norwich

Psychiatrists as storytellers: how psychiatrists can use their patients' stories in their clinical practice and training