Across the Channel, bibliotherapy, this technique which consists in healing by books, is essential as a serious alternative to traditional medicine. Since the creation in 2011 of a specialized service at the School of Life in London, the idea has gained ground in England. So much so that from next May, English doctors will be able to offer their patients readings from some thirty books including behavioral therapy books, novels and poetry.
With their prescription, patients will be able to receive their “treatment”. Debbie Hicks of the association The Reading Agency, at the origin of this program, explains the approach: “First, the doctor can prescribe personal development books from a selection. The patients then go to the clinic. bookstore near their home where the books will be available “. With bibliotherapy, Debbie Hicks’ team hopes to offer a new way to help the six million Britons who suffer from depression and anxiety.
Library therapy: collective reading groups
In addition to these individual initiatives, The Reading Agency is offering another more collective formula this time around: patients will be able to participate in reading groups “to stimulate their mood”.
Can books replace traditional treatments? A study published in Plos One last year highlighted the effectiveness of the method on a group of Scottish patients, who had recovered better than another group treated with conventional medicine.
Reading could also prevent depression in teens, according to another study published in Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
For York psychiatrist Dr. Paul Blenkiron interviewed by specialist site WebMD, book-based behavior therapy can be a “highly effective treatment to help people with mental health issues.” A method all the more effective as it would be less expensive for communities than current treatments. The annual cost of mental illness is 14 million pounds sterling (over 16.5 million euros) in England.
In France, do you think that doctors will one day be authorized to prescribe books?