MENTAL HEALTH
The Healing Place for the Soul An inscription above a library entrance in Thebes in ancient Greece
Beyond academic success and better physical health, a commitment to literacy and a love of reading can be powerful tools in supporting mental health, including boosting self-esteem, increasing empathy, and mitigating anxiety and depression. Boyes and colleagues’ research suggests there is a strong association between reading difficulties, and depression, anxiety, disruptive behavior, and self-esteem (2018). Specifically, students who struggle with reading are more likely to have internalized mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. What’s more, self-esteem can influence the relationship between reading skills, externalized behaviors, and mental health difficulties in general (Boyes et al., 2018). As is the case with physical health and academic achievement, childhood literacy is shown to have a lifelong impact on mental health. In a 2018 study, the National Literacy Trust issued a groundbreaking study that linked mental health to resilience, motivation, self-esteem, and confidence, and found that positive attitudes toward reading and writing were associated with higher incidence of all factors (Clark & Teravainen-Goff, 2018): • 37.4% of individuals with low literacy-engagement levels experienced low mental health, while only 11.8% experienced good mental health.
• Of those with high literacy-engagement levels , on the other hand, 39.4% experienced good mental health.
THE POWER OF BOOKS AND STORIES
People have been using books to enhance mental health for centuries, knowing intuitively that stories hold power. In books, readers find themselves, their humanity, and a connection to those around us. Around the globe, readers happily report the benefits of reading—and research supports these claims.
READING FOR LIFE: THE IMPACT OF YOUTH LITERACY ON HEALTH OUTCOMES 8
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