Clare County Library: Bibliotherapy: The Power of Words

What is bibliotherapy?

The use of books for therapeutic purposes is known as ‘bibliotherapy’. Self-help books have been used in this way for many years and are now being recommended as a means of providing psychological therapy for people experiencing emotional and psychological difficulties. The effectiveness of bibliotherapy has been well established in clinical trials.

Emotional problems are very common

Many people, perhaps even the majority, develop emotional or psychological problems at some stage during their life. At any one time for example, about 10% of adults are feeling somewhat depressed. Others feel anxious about leaving the house, or about meeting people, or have worries that just seem to go on and on. Some experience panic attacks that can be very frightening and unpredictable. Some people are highly stressed by work or family life, while others are haunted by abuse that happened in childhood. And many people just don’t feel good about themselves, their self-esteem is low, they lack confidence and feel useless and unlovable.

The 2013 Power of Words book selection

Many thousands of self-help books exist and while the best of these are highly effective, others are not so useful. In March 2007, the first bibliotherapy scheme in Ireland was piloted, led by Elaine Martin, HSE Senior Psychologist in collaboration with Dublin City Public Libraries. The objective of the scheme was to give GPs, mental health professionals and patients choice in the treatment approach to some mild and moderate mental health difficulties. The scheme provided GPs and other professionals with a list of high quality self-help books. In preparation for the 2013 scheme, hundreds of the best evidence-based titles were read and reviewed by willing psychologists and General Practitioners working in Ireland. Based on their recommendations a long list of 97 books and a short list of 42 books have been compiled by Elaine Martin and Sara Kelly (HSE Primary Care Psychology, Dublin North City). Most of the books chosen are written by leading psychologists with clinical expertise and many present self-help versions of established treatment programmes.

Over the past year the book list has been revised and updated, reflecting and incorporating matters of concern to public health, developments in the treatment of various difficulties and with thought to the support needs of carers too. The list includes books for adults on the common psychological problems that people experience including depression, anxiety, panic, eating difficulties, stress and low self-esteem. The list includes books for children and families on topics such as parenting, worries, bullying, bereavement, separation and eating issues.

A leaflet listing the 42 books on the shortlist is available at all branches of Clare County Library and these books are available for borrowing in all branches. Books can be kept for up to four weeks and renewed if required for longer. An extended list of 97 books covering other issues such as body image problems, sleep problems and compulsive gambling is available below. One hundred word summary reviews are available on all 97 titles. These books are stocked in a selection of branches but may be requested through any of the 15 branch libraries. For further information on the bibliotherapy scheme, see

www.hse.ie/powerofwords

Addiction
For summaries and reviews of books on addiction see

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mentalhealth/powerofwords/addictionbooks.html
For summaries and reviews of books on alcohol problems see

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mentalhealth/powerofwords/alcoholbooks.html

7 Tools to Beat Addiction
Stanton Peele, 2004

Get Your Loved One Sober: Alternatives To Nagging, Pleading, and Threatening
Robert Meyers & Brenda Wolfe, 2003

Overcoming Compulsive Gambling: a self-help guide using cognitive behavioral techniques
Alex Blaszczynski, 2010

Overcoming Problem Drinking: a self-help guide using cognitive behavioral techniques
Marcantonio Spada, 2006

An Introduction to Sensible Drinking
Marcantonio Spada, 2011