Restor(y)ing Health: A Conceptual Model of the Effects of Digital Storytelling

Abstract

We currently see an interdisciplinary shift toward a “participatory turn” in health research and promotion under which community engagement, shared decision making and planning, and the use of visual and digital methods have become paramount. Digital storytelling (DST) is one such innovative and engaging method increasingly used in applied health interventions, with a growing body of research identifying its value. Despite its increasing use, a standard approach to empirically assess the impacts on individuals participating in DST interventions does not currently exist. In this article, we define DST as a distinct narrative intervention, illustrate key elements that inform the methodology, and present a conceptual model to examine how DST may contribute to increased socioemotional well-being and bolster positive health outcomes. Our proposed model is informed by elements of narrative theory, Freirian conscientization, multimodality, and social cognitive theory and can serve as a guide for public health practitioners and researchers interested in assessing the potential benefits of DST as an applied health intervention. Recommendations for practice call for a rigorous methodological approach to apply and test this model across a range of health contexts and populations.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a 3-Day Group-Based Digital Storytelling Workshop among Caregivers of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Patients: A Mixed-Methods Approach

“…Our study is designed according to a constructivist grounded theory approach [33], which is particularly suitable for capturing the different angles of the DST workshop based on the conceptual model of the effects of DST on socioemotional well-being [34]. Steps in the qualitative analytical process included line-by-line coding, constant comparative analysis, and codebook development based on sorting and synthesis of codes into categories and major themes [35].…”

Radical Practice

“…While the trend was still to drill down to individual knowledge and “lifestyle choices,” you’ll see how HPP authors pulled up to context: analyzing settings (Poland et al, 2009), working conditions of low-wage workers (Nobrega et al, 2016), environmental influences on tobacco use among Asian American and Pacific Islander youth (Tanjasiri et al, 2013), and corner store and wholesaler interventions (Schwendler et al, 2017). Some of the more recent articles were selected to represent approaches that thread through HPP ’s pages over the second decade: barbershop interventions (Jemmott et al, 2017), community health workers (Lohr et al, 2018), implementation research (Livingood et al, 2020), community–academic partnerships (Pearson et al, 2019), and digital storytelling (Fiddian-Green et al, 2019).…”

“Power of Storytelling”: A Content Analysis of Chronic Pain Narratives on YouTube

“…A subset of illness narratives are first-person digital narratives; short videos produced independently by, or in partnership with the person to tell their personal experience [18]. These can be a combination of short video and audio clips complemented by images, animation and music.…”