Exploring the usability of graphic medicine as an educational tool among psychology students

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.