Wellbeing Corner
Books offer a healing retreat for youngsters caught up in a pandemic
New research shows how reading books can help young people escape from their sources of stress, find role models in characters and develop empathy.
Recent media reports have highlighted a concerning rise in severe emotional stress in young people. Isolation and disruption of learning in lockdown have increased their anxiety. Given the recent surge in COVID-19 cases and lockdowns in Australia, parents and educators may look to connect young people with enjoyable activities that also support both their well-being and learning.
A lot has been written about the role of regular reading in building literacy skills Now, my findings from a BUPA Foundation-funded research project on school libraries and well-being provide insight into how books and reading can help young people deal with the well-being challenges of the pandemic.
The findings suggest books can not only be a great escape during this challenging time, but also offer further well-being benefits.
Escaping from a world of stress
We know that adults who are avid readers enjoy being able to escape into their books. Reading for pleasure can reduce psychological distress and has been related to mental well-being.
Reading-based interventions have been used successfully to support children who have experienced trauma. In a recent study, around 60% of young people agreed reading during lockdown helped them to feel better.
My research project confirms young people can use books and reading to escape the pressures of their lives. As one student said:
“If you don’t know what to do, or if you’re sad, or if you’re angry, or whatever the case is, you can just read, and it feels like you’re just escaping the world. And you’re going into the world of the book, and you’re just there.”
Other research has linked connecting with characters to mental health recovery, partly due to its power to instil hope in the reader. Building relationships with characters in books can also be used as “self-soothing” to decrease anxiety.
In challenging times, many parents are looking for an activity that supports their children’s well-being. And as reading is also linked to strong literacy benefits, connecting them with books, with the support of their teacher librarian, is a smart way to go.
Margaret Kristin Merga, Honorary Adjunct, University of Newcastle; Senior Lecturer in Education, Edith Cowan University.
If parents are not sure what books will best suit their child’s often ever-changing interests and needs, they can get in touch with our teacher librarian, Shelley Klein. Even during lockdown this service is only an email away.
