Belfast (UK), Feb 9
When we hear the word “comic”, graphic novels oozing with superheroes, villains and other colourful characters are likely to come to mind.
Comics are, in essence, fictional stories condensed into compelling visual stories. But since their infancy in the 1920s, and evolution to superhero fiction in the 1960s, comics have been adapted to various fiction subgenres – and to non-fiction contexts too.
Comics are being used more often to influence attitudes and behaviours in a variety of settings. Comics can support our understanding of health information – an area we call “graphic medicine”. They can also be used as an educational tool when it comes to environmental issues – these are sometimes called “eco-comics”.
Graphic medicine
Comics that visually explain complex medical procedures and health treatments can help improve mental and physical health literacy, and allow people to continue taking their medication. They can also reduce anxiety among patients before and after surgery.
Comic novels can encourage people to take part in health screenings, which can help prevent chronic conditions.
Comics and images taken from comics were used to explain how COVID-19 spreads and how we can influence its spread.
Health researchers believe comics provide a more accessible medium for communicating important public health information. However, readers can also relate to the characters and develop empathy. This can impact their perceptions of risk. If the outcome is positive, they might be inclined to copy the behavior of these characters (a concept known as modeling).
There has been a steady increase in comics that depict patients’ lives with chronic illnesses and mental disorders. These comics are a resource for those who are facing similar health challenges. They validate fears, uncertainty, isolation and present solutions through the narrative.
Comics that depict patients’ lived experiences of illness can help healthcare providers empathise with them, which can improve their quality of care.
I recently developed a comic called “Diabetes Cyberspace” together with a comic artist and a group of young people living with type 1 diabetes from the UK, Ireland and Denmark. The comic’s narrative was influenced by themes derived from interviews with these young adults (our findings are published pre-print). The comic tells the story about a young person diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and how social media posts related to diabetes have an impact on their mental well-being.
This comic is meant to be used as an educational resource to show the difficulties that young people with type-1 diabetes face. It also contains tips and advice to help young people with type 1 diabetes navigate the internet.
Research has shown that comics can be used as communication tools to improve mental and physical health. However, most of the evidence regarding comics is speculative. It is based on theoretical studies (where researchers examine and analyse the content of the comics) and small qualitative studies.
It is difficult to assess the impact of comics on health. There are no empirical studies that examine the effectiveness of comics in influencing behaviour change and knowledge.
We hope that the Diabetes Cyberspace comic can now be evaluated in order to determine its effectiveness as an educational resource, communication tool, and communication tool for young people living with type 1 diabetes and their caregivers. This will help to fill this knowledge gap.
Eco-comics
Comics have been used to teach about environmental issues. The evidence supporting the ability of ecological comics to influence attitudes and behaviours in the environment is limited, just as graphic medicine.
Recent studies have shown positive results from the use of eco-comic books in primary schools in East Africa. Questionnaires revealed that children were able to increase their conservation knowledge within a year of being exposed to the comic.
Another study found that people in Nigeria have significantly improved their waste disposal habits by using a comic that illustrated more sustainable ways to dispose of waste.
These studies provide information in an easier way and highlight the potential of eco-comics for increasing environmental literacy and promoting conservation.
We have also recently developed an ecological comic, called “Tales of Ecological Terror – A Plastic Nightmare.” We hosted face-to-face and online workshops with students and staff from diverse disciplines across Queen’s University Belfast to co-design the comic.
Through a humorous, yet empathetic narrative, the comic aims to raise awareness about the negative effects of plastic waste. We envision that the comic will be piloted at different educational settings in order to measure its potential effect on ecological literacy, attitudes, and behaviour. (The Conversation)
