Supporting Mental Health with the Power of Storytelling

In the summer of 2020, racial and social tensions were high. On top of the national anxiety surrounding COVID-19, it also marked a year of unrest following the murder of George Floyd. Following that tumultuous summer, Emory University established the Arts & Social Justice Fellows Program. The initiative pairs Emory faculty with Atlanta-based artists to incorporate creative elements into various courses to inspire students to reflect on social inequities and promote change. Elizabeth Walker, PhD, teaching associate professor of behavioral, social, and health education sciences, participated in the inaugural cohort in fall 2020.

“Everything happening in the world at that time had a big impact on mental health, both broadly and for students,” says Walker. “I wanted to do the fellowship to use art to think through these difficult topics through a public health lens. It provided a way to help students create community and get them through this difficult time as well.”

Walker was paired with Okorie Johnson, a local cellist and composer, to teach the course, Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders. In this course, students learned about the risks and protective factors that influence mental disorders and explored how art can be used to change the narrative about mental health, build community, and bolster resilience. As a culminating project for the class, Johnson helped students write a poem based on class discussions about mental health and social justice. He then set it to music he composed and created a stirring video featuring students from the course.

By being vulnerable and creative together, students were able to build community, feel comfortable sharing their stories, and process difficult events.

“Stories and lived experiences are really powerful and important for the work that we do in public health,” says Walker. “And art is just another way to be able to powerfully share people's stories.”