Reading for wellbeing – ‘mood-busting’ titles at the library

The Orkney Library’s revamped “Books on Prescription” service was launched this afternoon.

The original service was set up in 2007 and centred around a list of self-help books that GPs and other health professionals could recommend to people experiencing depression, anxiety, eating disorders, alcoholism and whole range of other mental health problems.

The revamped service, which will go under the name of Reading for Wellbeing, includes the original titles but now includes novels and poetry.

Alison Miller said: “We know instinctively and anecdotally that reading is good for us.  Now there is a growing body of evidence that reading can indeed have a therapeutic effect.  More and more libraries are attempting to provide the general public with books to help us through the dark times.

“When I came to Orkney as a Reader in Residence, my discussions with Gary Amos led us to believe that the Books on Prescription scheme could and should be widened to include not just self-help books, but novels, poetry and creative non-fiction.

“We wanted to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness.  It’s not something that only happens to other folk: we all go through times where we feel off-kilter and find it hard to cope.  Reading can help.”