Bibliotherapy entails the use of books to solve issues that one may face at a particular moment in time. It has been defined as “a process of dynamic interaction between the personality of the reader and literature-interaction which may be utilized for personal assessment, adjustment, and growth” (Lehr 1981).
The following bibliotherapy materials have received empirical support in the treatment of mild to moderate depression (Scogin et al 2003):
- Burns D (1980). Feeling Good. New York: Guildford Press.
- Lewinsohn P, Munoz R, Youngren MA, Zeiss A (1986). Control Your Depression. Engelwood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
The severity of symptoms need to be assessed in order to choose the optimal treatment option (bibliotherapy, bibliotherapy + medication, psychotherapy + medication) according to a stepped-care model (Scogin et al 2003).
References: Scogin FR, Hanson A, Welsh D (2003). Self-administered treatment in stepped‐care models of depression treatment. Journal of clinical psychology 59(3), 341-349.
Lehr, F (1981). Bibliotherapy. Journal of Reading 25(1), 76-79.