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Artistic representations of disease are widespread yet largely ignored in health psychology research. In this paper we use two infectious diseases, tuberculosis and the plague, as tracers to study how infectious diseases are represented in novels, films, paintings, and songs. They were represented especially in terms of their causes and seriousness. Studying how diseases are represented in various art forms extends our understanding of how they are socially constructed. This knowledge can also be incorporated into the training of health care providers to sensitize them to issues in patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of arts in palliative care. Diana Greenman provides a narrative about the use of concerts in hospices, hospitals and day centers and discusses the effects of music on patients. She notes on the influence of music on a patient's heartbeat, pulse rate and blood pressure. Frans Meulenberg describes how he was able to make contact with her mother following a stroke. He mentions that he was able to make her mother laugh and cry by listening to her favorite music.