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Heart in art: cardiovascular diseases in novels, films, and paintings
Ad A Kaptein1, Pim B van der Meer2, Barend W Florijn3
1Medical Psychology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands. a.a.kaptein@lumc.nl.
Insights
Artistic representations of cardiovascular diseases, like myocardial infarction and stroke, offer insights into patient perceptions and can improve self-management. Further research into these portrayals can enhance patient quality of life.
Area of Science:
- Medical Humanities
- Arts and Health
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
Background:
- Understanding disease representation in art provides insights into patient and healthcare provider perspectives.
- Artistic portrayals can enhance patient care and promote self-management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review cardiovascular disease representations in novels, films, and paintings.
- To analyze illness perceptions and self-management using the Common Sense Model.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of artistic representations of cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, aneurysm, hypertension, stroke, etc.).
- Application of the Common Sense Model to analyze illness perceptions and self-management in art.
Main Results:
- Myocardial infarction and stroke were the most frequently depicted cardiovascular diseases across novels, films, and paintings.
- Representations encompassed biomedical details, social impacts, and psychological consequences.
Conclusions:
- Artistic depictions of cardiovascular diseases reflect prevalent cognitions, emotions, and imagery, influencing public and patient behaviors.
- Further research on these representations can improve quality of life for cardiovascular patients by modifying illness perceptions and enhancing self-management.
Background:
Understanding representations of disease in various art genres provides insights into how patients and health care providers view the diseases. It can also be used to enhance patient care and stimulate patient self-management.
Methods:
This paper reviews how cardiovascular diseases are represented in novels, films, and paintings: myocardial infarction, aneurysm, hypertension, stroke, heart transplantation, Marfan's disease, congestive heart failure. Various search systems and definitions were used to help identify sources of representations of different cardiovascular diseases. The representations of the different diseases were considered separately. The Common Sense Model was used a theoretical model to outline illness perceptions and self-management in the various identified novels, films, and paintings.
Results:
Myocardial infarction followed by stroke were the most frequently detailed diseases in all three art genres. This reflects their higher prevalence. Representations ranged from biomedical details through to social and psychological consequences of the diseases.
Conclusions:
Artistic representations of cardiovascular diseases reflect cognitions, emotions, and images of prevalent disease. These representations shape views and behaviour of ill and healthy persons regarding heart diseases. As these representations are amenable to change, they deserve further research, which may be instrumental in improving the quality of life of persons struck by cardiovascular diseases. Changing illness perceptions appears to be a method to improve self-management and thereby quality of life in patients with various cardiovascular diseases.
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