Open to the public, the themed lessons will be held from Monday 6 October to Monday 24 November in the Aula Polivalente at Campus Est in Lugano, from 6 to 7.45 p.m.  The meetings are aimed at students and postgraduate students from the Faculty of Biomedical Science of USI, as well as anyone else who is interested. Every lesson involves an introductory keynote speech that will present the topic on the basis of the most recent scientific literature. This introduction will be followed by a debate involving an expert in the role of discussant.
The programme was put together by the course scientific committee consisting of Enzo Grossi, Luigi Di Corato, Silvia Misiti and Julia Hotz.

The 2025 Course on Culture and Health is dedicated to social prescribing, an increasingly common practice in many countries whereby family doctors “prescribe” patients a series of non-clinical community-based activities and services. These activities are made possible by a social intermediation service (so-called ‘link workers’), in collaboration with local institutions and associations. The aim of social prescribing is to improve the health and wellbeing of people that require special forms of support, people with chronic illnesses, anxiety or depression who live on their own or in conditions of social isolation and often have complex needs that negatively impact on their wellbeing.

After a first introductory lesson on the topic, each course meeting will be dedicated to a specific form of social prescribing: from physical activity and contact with nature to exposure to art and voluntary work, through to social inclusion.

See full program

Download the digital booklet

If you have or suspect you have endometriosis, #ENDOs offers you the opportunity to share your story completely anonymously, becoming part of a large community of support and understanding.

What is #ENDOs?

#ENDOs is a project co-funded by the European Union, created to provide a safe space where people from Italy, France and Ireland can share their experience with endometriosis and build a welcoming and supportive community that values each unique story.

The collected narratives will contribute to the creation of an “Emotional Narrative Dictionary,” helping doctors and other professionals better understand endometriosis and improve communication with those who experience this condition

How does it work?

The DNMLab platform, developed by DNM – Digital Narrative Medicine, will guide you through writing your story in a few simple steps while ensuring compliance with EU privacy regulations. You can choose to respond to the proposed prompts or ignore them if you prefer, as well as freely share the aspects of your experience that matter most to you.

Why join #ENDOs?

• To give voice to your story and those of many other people.
• To break the silence surrounding a condition that is still poorly understood and often minimized.
• To help improve communication and relationship with healthcare professionals and the Research community.

 Direct access to the platform to start sharing your experience:

Italy: https://dnmlab.it/?customregistration=dkshfksdjf987sejldfs9sfd8sglnkfs
France: https://dnmlabfrance.eu/?customregistration=ljsafjaks375397823rmxfksfhxkjdfh
Ireland:https://dnmlab.eu/?customregistration=v2agqxniqpw0sx63yinnt46uhrl92j1w

For more information, visit the official website: endostories.eu/narrative-pathway

A new Italian study proposes a holistic model to improve the quality of life for breast cancer patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and one of the leading causes of death among women. New approaches based on the adoption of so-called integrative therapies can be implemented to enhance the physical and psychological well-being of patients before, during, and after treatment. However, in Europe there are still few centers that apply these methods and acknowledge their importance.

Recently, an Italian study published in the scientific journal Current Oncology Reports brought together specialists from various fields with the aim of formulating a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer care.

Read the paper here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38400984/

The authors have mapped and analyzed all published studies related to theory, clinical practice and education in Narrative Medicine.

The paper, through a focus on Italy and the United States, or the countries in which MN is most developed, reveals the possibility of future projects in which to measure Narrative Medicine according to an approach that integrates training and clinical practice.

Link to open access article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39334149/