Books to beat depression

Poor mental health costs the NHS £14 billion a year. A new scheme aims to bring the healing benefits of reading to the 6 million people in the UK with anxiety and depression. 

Bill Bryson - one of the authors
guaranteed to lift your mood

There is growing evidence showing that self help reading can help people with certain mental health conditions get better. Reading Well Books on Prescription will enable GPs and mental health professionals to prescribe patients cognitive behavioural therapy through a visit to the library. Here they can get books to help them understand and manage conditions from depression to chronic pain. The scheme works within NICE guidelines, and uses 30 books endorsed by health partners as having evidenced CBT benefits.

Another of The Reading Agency’s initiatives is their Mood-boosting Books Scheme, which attempts to help people feel better by giving them recommended books to read when they are feeling anxious or depressed. Research shows that reading improves mental well-being and reduces stress levels. The books are recommended by readers and reading groups around the country and range from novels and non-fiction to poetry and graphic novels. There are also titles that are suitable for less confident readers.

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