Author: Sarah Charlin Klingberg // Editors: Erin Pallott & Catarina Cruz

“I used to be such an avid reader!”

Maybe this resonates with you, given that I heard this from many of my peers and friends when I told them I started reading fiction again. Being an avid reader as a child and teenager, I was engulfed by stories of vampires and witches, as well as detectives solving mysteries of monsters and myths. However, I seemingly lost my interest in reading after pleasure became forced. Spending my days in books and articles to collect and digest as much knowledge as I could slowly deterred me from picking up those colourful covers filled with worlds of wonder. Lately, I have longed to feel completely immersed in a story with no distractions, submerged in a world full of imperfect yet heroic characters who are finding their purpose while navigating friendships, enemies and romance; worlds that take me on a journey full of emotions, making me laugh, cry, or critique the character’s choices.

I rediscovered the joy of reading – the delight and peace I felt when I was younger. But even more importantly, I’ve found friends experiencing the same joy and a whole social media base, the so-called “BookTok”, sharing my passion, which lifted my spirits. That got me thinking: as a child, I was told reading was good, assumingly because I exercised an important skill to access knowledge. But I wondered if there is another side to it: could reading fiction actually be used as a way of coping with stress and fostering wellbeing?

Luckily, I wasn’t the only one pondering this question. The view that exposure to fictional literature can have positive effects on mental wellbeing, specifically from encountering poetry, fantasy and drama, is called bibliotherapy. Within academia, there is no fixed definition, with some focusing on guided reading from therapists or group settings, while others include self-help books or exclusively focus on fiction. But all are united by the idea that reading serves wellbeing. Although the scientific evidence base for bibliotherapy is still lacking, there have been some promising findings on why picking up one of those colourful covers may be just what you need.

Fiction helps with coping!

Several studies have shown that reading has positive effects on wellbeing in different populations, such as adults with dementia, mental health difficulties, chronic pain and neurological conditions. One study interviewed eight Swedish women about their experiences with reading fiction while being on sick leave. The interviews highlighted the multiple ways in which reading fiction helped them cope with their changed, and possibly isolating, circumstances while also improving their mood and wellbeing by focussing on worlds outside their reality. Participants explained that their pleasure from reading helped them finish daily tasks because reading served as a motivation to finish the tasks more quickly to get back to reading, or even as a reward for coping with a situation. Some even mentioned a relief of pain and anxiety while focussing on reading fiction and escaping reality, shifting their attention away from their thoughts and issues. Further, simply being able to read reaffirmed their capability and recovery process. Participants also enjoyed those moments of privacy, using them for relaxation and showing kindness towards themselves. Finally, immersing themselves in a story allowed them to see the world more beautifully and have a sense of belonging.

Fiction improves social skills!

Reading fiction and identifying with the characters may not only provide a sense of belongingness but also the ability to connect with others by better understanding them. Literature shows that this can be achieved through inferring and interpreting meaning while reading; studies show that this might only include so-called cognitive empathy (taking perspective and understanding of others) but not affective empathy (sharing another’s emotions). However, readers may empathise more deeply when they feel physically transported into the story. This leaves us with two questions: is all fiction beneficial to all readers, or are reading preferences important? What makes a reader feel as though they are part of the story?

Interestingly, findings showed that fiction reading improves our understanding of others more than non-fiction. A study also summarised that reading fiction positively correlated with social ability, while non-fiction correlated negatively with social ability.

Fiction helps to exchange loneliness with belongingness!

Not only does reading fiction have positive effects on social aspects, but reading with others in social settings has also been found to have many benefits for wellbeing. This can include in-person book clubs and online book clubs such as BookTok or Reddit, where people discuss their reading and share new books and their top reads. For instance, group-based studies on reading literature have shown an increase in creativity, concentration, memory and social skills and a decrease in feelings of isolation and depression markers. Social aspects of reading, such as going to book clubs and libraries, can provide a sense of belonging by helping build networks, friendships and community. These can act as social spaces for specialised or minority groups to share experiences, build social skills, confidence and self-esteem or achieve personal goals such as fitness, nutrition and self-worth. 

^{Photo by Aga Putra on Unsplash.com}

Overall, reading fiction seems to promote our wellbeing, with social connections playing a big part. However, there are wide gaps in knowledge on how exactly bibliotherapy can be used to improve certain aspects of wellbeing. More importantly, the included findings must be viewed critically, as studies tend to have small population sizes, niche contexts and findings that show correlation rather than causality.  

But maybe next time, when you find yourself feeling guilty about wanting to sit back with a brew and enjoy reading a novel when you could use the time “effectively” to tick boxes off the never-ending to-do list or read a book about finances, this blog may help lessen those thoughts and help you immerse into a fictional story.

Do you enjoy or used to enjoy reading? What is your favourite genre?

Tell us in the comments below 😊

Sarah Charlin Klingberg LinkedIn Insta: @sc_kling
I am a German PhD student looking at unaccompanied migrant children going missing. This combines my interests in safeguarding young people and prevention of human trafficking, modern slavery and missing persons. I also enjoy reading on other topic areas, mainly criminology, psychology and medicine.