Usability of Graphic Medicine in Psychology Education

NCT07192445 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 96-2022-Hf
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 158
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study explores the use of graphic medicine-which includes comics, graphic novels, and illustrations-as an innovative educational tool for psychology students learning about mental health. Traditional teaching methods, such as lectures and textbooks, are effective for delivering theoretical knowledge but may not fully capture the complexity of mental health experiences or encourage the empathy needed for future clinical practice. Graphic medicine offers a visual and narrative approach that can make abstract concepts more tangible, encourage active participation in learning, and foster emotional connection. The primary aim of the study is to evaluate the usability of mental health-themed graphic novels among psychology students. Usability is assessed using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), which measures aspects such as attractiveness, clarity, efficiency, reliability, stimulation, and novelty. Secondary aims include examining changes in students' emotional responses (positive and negative affect), motivation to learn about mental health, enjoyment of reading graphic novels, attitudes toward their use in education, willingness to use them in the future, and perceptions of their validity. This is a pre-post quasi-experimental study involving psychology students from the University of Málaga. During the intervention, participants read selected excerpts from graphic novels that portray real-life experiences of individuals with mental health conditions, their families, and professionals involved in their care. These narratives aim to bridge the gap between theory and real-life application and evoke empathy. Before and after the reading activity, students complete self-report questionnaires assessing usability and the secondary variables. Data analysis involves Wilcoxon signed-rank test for paired samples, with Bonferroni correction applied to control for multiple comparisons, and a thematic analysis with Atlas.ti.

Conditions

Student Education; Psychology

Keywords

comic book; graphic novel; mental health; university

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Usability

  The User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) is designed to help people reflect on their feelings, impressions, and attitudes associated with the use of a product. It consists of six scales: Efficiency, Perspicuity, and Dependability (pragmatic dimension); Stimulation and Novelty (hedonic dimension); and Attractiveness. It presents 26 items that are evaluated on a scale ranging from -3 to +3, where -3 indicates the most negative response, 0 a neutral response, and +3 the most positive. The results are grouped around six main dimensions, organized into two broad categories: pragmatic quality (which encompasses aspects related to the usability and functionality of the resource) and hedonic quality (linked to the emotional, motivational, and aesthetic dimensions of the experience) (Schrepp, 2015).

  Before and after the intervention (Baseline and one hour later)

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Positive and negative affect

  Before and after the intervention (Baseline and one hour later)

• Motivation to learn about mental health

  Before and after the intervention (Baseline and one hour later)

• Motivation to read mental health graphic novels

  Before and after the intervention (Baseline and one hour later)

• Enjoyment of reading mental health graphic novels

  Before and after the intervention (Baseline and one hour later)

• Attitudes toward graphic novels

  Before the intervention (Baseline and one hour later)

Study Arms (1)

Graphic Medicine Reading Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this arm read selected excerpts from mental health-themed graphic novels. The materials portray personal experiences of individuals with mental health conditions, their families, and healthcare professionals. The excerpts combine narrative text and visual storytelling to illustrate real-life challenges, coping strategies, and perspectives related to mental health. The reading session is completed individually in a classroom setting.

Other: Reading of Mental Health Graphic Novels

Interventions

Reading of Mental Health Graphic Novels OTHER

Participants read carefully selected excerpts from graphic novels focused on mental health. These excerpts integrate written narratives with visual storytelling to illustrate daily life challenges, symptoms, interpersonal relationships, and treatment experiences in mental health contexts. The intervention is conducted individually in a supervised classroom environment. Along with the graphic novel, a guide is provided with questions designed to encourage focused and reflective reading.

Graphic Medicine Reading Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Second-year Psychology students studying Psychopathology.

You may not qualify if:

• Students with language barriers.
• Students with severe reading or comprehension difficulties.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fundación Pública Andaluza para la Investigación de Málaga en Biomedicina y Salud: lead
• University of Malaga: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Málaga

Málaga, Málaga, Spain

Location

Related Publications (4)

• Lesinska-Sawicka M. Using graphic medicine in teaching multicultural nursing: a quasi-experimental study. BMC Med Educ. 2023 Apr 17;23(1):255. doi: 10.1186/s12909-023-04223-2.

  PMID: 37069640 BACKGROUND

• Williams L, Harstade CW, Anderson N, Deshmukh A, Gayton A, Gott M, Guo P, Nicol J, Tavares T, Waterworth S. Nursing students' reactions to a graphic novel: A multi-national descriptive qualitative study. Nurse Educ Today. 2024 Aug;139:106229. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2024.106229. Epub 2024 Apr 25.

  PMID: 38691902 BACKGROUND

• Consorti F, Fiorucci S, Martucci G, Lai S. Graphic Novels and Comics in Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Students Education: A Scoping Review. Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ. 2023 Oct 16;13(10):2262-2275. doi: 10.3390/ejihpe13100160.

  PMID: 37887161 BACKGROUND

• Anderson PF, Wescom E, Carlos RC. Difficult Doctors, Difficult Patients: Building Empathy. J Am Coll Radiol. 2016 Dec;13(12 Pt B):1590-1598. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2016.09.015.

  PMID: 27888946 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 4, 2025
• First Posted: September 25, 2025
• Study Start: February 18, 2025
• Primary Completion: February 18, 2025
• Study Completion: February 18, 2025
• Last Updated: September 25, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Locations

ES (1)