Biblioterapy, healthy readings.
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
Category
Project Description
The Biblioterapia project has been developed in the hospital libraries and in the PUBLIC LIBRARIES OF Galicia .This project is based on the benefits of reading on health and well-being, with two main lines of work, each one related to two groups of books: Prescription-based readings and creative readings. Given that the prevalence of depression is 4% in the general population, we estimate that some 100,000 people may benefit from this project.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebfFEvPY0GM
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
The Biblioterapia project has been developed in the hospital libraries of the seven health areas of Galicia and in the libraries of the Xunta de Galicia of A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense, Pontevedra, Santiago de Compostela and Vigo, since 2018.The term bibliotherapy refers to a wide variety of clinical - therapeutic or psychoeducational - and non-clinical - developmental, creative or social - interventions that use books or texts for the benefit of people through reading and discussion. The project was the British initiative Reading Well Books on Prescription - started in 2003 and implemented nationally in 2013 - which was widely accepted by clinicians and patients.
This project is based on the benefits of reading on health and well-being, with two main lines of work, each one related to two groups of books:
- Prescription-based readings (guided self-help, therapeutic advice): mainly self-help and / or psychoeducation books recommended by health professionals.
- Creative readings: novels and non-fiction books proposed by experts in literature and by patients.
The result is a list of 142 readings1 classified based on this double approach:
- Self-help / psychoeducation and advice books can be used in clinical practice with the help of professionals as part of a therapeutic intervention, offering techniques and information to understand and deal with mental problems. There is scientific evidence on the use of this type of intervention in different mental disorders.
- The novels and non-fiction books included in this project are closer to the conception of literature as a reflection of vital and personal experiences, emotions and knowledge about life. In this sense, they are readings that can be interesting for people who are going through different problems, changes or complex emotional situations characterized by restlessness. The use of this type of reading in a clinical context is little evaluated from a scientific point of view, but there are positiveN
Key objectives for sustainability
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that mental disorders are among the main causes of burden and disability worldwide and that this trend will increase in the coming decades.
This project improves the efficiency and sustainability of healthcare systems, allowing patients to take a leading role in their own therapeutic process. The set of books for children, adolescents and adults can be used as support or as a complement in their treatment, in reading groups or directly by interested persons.
Possible advantages include learning techniques and increasing the sense of self-management and self-control, as well as awareness of personal achievements. These potential benefits are an instrument for positive motivation towards change through the feeling of identification of people with the readings. Bibliotherapy could thus have immediate effects on the reduction of psychological distress, with the possibility that this improvement is maintained over time. In addition, it is compatible with all kinds of psychological or pharmacological interventions or treatments.
The project have been implemented through hospital libraries and public libraries, with the collaboration of their staff and professionals from the health system.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
The initial idea of starting a bibliotherapy project arose during a collaboration of the Ministry of Health with patients affected by depression and their families. This contact allowed us to know their demand for readings that would help them understand and face psychological and emotional problems. With this starting point, the Agency for Health Knowledge (ACIS) began to work on the articulation of an initiative to review the available scientific evidence on the use of books for therapeutic purposes and on the implementation of the project.
Key objectives for inclusion
The main purpose of the project was to promote knowledge about mental health problems and promote empowerment and self-management on the part of patients, in addition to improving their well-being.
Mental health is that state of emotional well-being in which the person is aware of their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, work fruitfully, and contribute to their community. Untreated mental disorders take a heavy toll, accounting for 13% of the total global disease burden. Unipolar depression is the third leading cause of morbidity, representing 4.3% of the global burden. According to current predictions, by 2030 depression will be the leading cause of morbidity globally. Suicide is an extreme but not uncommon outcome in people with untreated mental disorders. In general, the self-help books included in the project may be an appropriate option for most of the people who consult primary care or specialized care professionals for a psychological problem. The readings should be carefully selected taking into account the level of difficulty of the book, as well as the motivation of the person to participate in an activity of these characteristics and work independently on their health problem with the monitoring of professionals. The readings should be carefully selected taking into account the level of difficulty of the book, as well as the motivation of the person to participate in an activity of these characteristics and work independently on their health problem with the monitoring of professionals. Thus, people of different ages (both children and adults) who experience situations of mild or moderate emotional distress or mental disorders can benefit from self-help readings. Also people with more severe problems, always as a complement to the treatments. In addition, these books can be useful to relatives and close friends, as well as to people interested in having a greater knowledge about mental disorders.
Results in relation to category
The project is disseminated through the web pages of ACIS (acis.sergas.gal), Bibliosaúde (bibliosaude.sergas.gal) and the Network of public libraries of Galicia (rbgalicia.xunta. Gal), together with associated materials(https://bibliosaude.sergas.gal/DXerais/928/BIBLIOTERAPIA_lecturas%20saludables_ES.pdf), including files in which the references are enriched with brief summaries of the books to facilitate the work of recommendation to health professionals and the identification of readings to people who approach the project out of personal interest. This is complemented with the paper edition available in the libraries of the main hospitals in Galicia and in the physical points of the Network of public libraries of Galicia,
How Citizens benefit
To develop the project, a working group with experience in the matter was formed. It included all the agents involved, from professionals from the Galician Health Service –both in the field of mental health and primary care– to people with experience in reading groups of patient associations or other areas such as education . Professionals from Bibliosaúde (Virtual Library of the Public Health System of Galicia) and from the Network of public libraries of Galicia also participated in the group. His work, which lasted for a year, was essential to achieve a list of books evaluated and agreed from a triple perspective: clinical, literary and reading. In addition, the project has a significant participation of patients, through both associations and individuals who worked individually in its conception and implementation.
Innovative character
From the point of view of the health system, the project is innovative because it offers a new resource through an integrative proposal, joining the efforts of the health system itself, patient associations and public libraries. Furthermore, this work in collaboration with areas other than health seeks to improve social awareness of emotional problems and mental disorders and could contribute to reducing the stigma associated with them.
