Reading for and about health
Reading is proven to benefit mental health.
A study conducted by Mindlab International at the University of Sussex showed that after only six minutes of reading a book, participants' stress levels were reduced by 60%. This was compared to taking part in other activities such as listening to music or going for a walk. It showed that reading helped to reduce heart rate, ease muscle tension and alter people's state of mind.
Reading can help us escape from the real world, exploring other cultures, places and characters. Reading heightens our levels of empathy and improves our understanding of others.
We believe that it is okay not to be okay. We believe that books have a profound impact on how we see the world.
- Sydney Timmins, Mental Health Book Club Podcast
Reading Well
Not only can reading contribute to positive mental health, reading can also help us learn more about health issues that affect us.
Reading Well supports you to understand and manage your health and wellbeing using helpful reading. Reading Well books are all recommended by health experts, as well as people with lived experience of the conditions and topics covered and their relatives and carers. You can be recommended a title by a health professional, or you can take a book out yourself. Many of the Reading Well titles are available to borrow as eBooks and audiobooks. The scheme is delivered by The Reading Agency, working in partnership with Libraries Connected, with funding from Arts Council England.
Here are some of the book lists available:
- Reading Well for Mental Health
- Reading Well for Dementia
- Reading Well Bereavement Book Guide
