The Benefit of Reading on Mental Wellbeing (Fiction Recommendations)

Reading & Mental Wellbeing

In my second year of university, I discovered Bibliotherapy - the word immediately struck me as a fun, quirky name for a bookworm's love of reading. Upon further learning, I realised there was way more to it than that! Bibliotherapy is the 'prescription' of books within a therapy setting with an aim to improve the symptoms of mental illness and is proven to be an effective method of relief from the symptoms of anxiety, depression, grief and others. 

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While I am not a qualified bibliotherpist, I work as a bookseller and use literature to improve my own mental well-being, as well as recommending to customers and friends. This article aims to provide fictional reading material, relating to some of the most common mental health disorders. Reading supportive, relatable books has been proven in bibliotherapy to be comforting and help readers feel less alone. 

A common theme here on the blog will look at student mental health and increased support. For this reason, the books I recommend are all of the 'Young Adult' genre. I and many other book lovers will tell you: reading can be a fantastic distraction from the real world. And remember, a reader lives one thousand lives.

Turtles All the Way Down - John Green

This novel follows the story of Aza, a college student dealing with crippling anxiety and OCD. Green tells the story beautifully, highlighting the importance of reaching out for help in a time of need and de-stigmatising the stereotypical portrayal of therapy in many films and TV shows, showing how effective counselling really can be. 

A List of Cages - Robin Roe

This heartbreaking story definitely requires a trigger warning, dealing with neglect and physical abuse. Robin Roe delicately explores the effects of ADHD on our main character's everyday life, effecting his family life and social relationships. From start to finish, Roe identifies how important supportive relationships are. 

Girl in Pieces - Kathleen Glasgow 

As with A List of Cages, this book covers several sensitive topics such as self harm and drug abuse. The story follows a 17 year old girl who feels she has lost everything and turns to self harm as a way of coping. As the story unfolds, we learn of Charlotte's traumatic past and begin to understand the lasting effects of trauma on the mind. 

✦ "You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think" - Christopher Robin (Winnie the Pooh) ✦