Wellbeing between the pages
There is much talk and a growing body of research about the effect of arts on wellbeing. But what happens when we are reading?
Research increasingly demonstrates reading’s positive impact on mental and social wellbeing. The International Arts+Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University reports promising mental and social health benefits, with people finding connection and meaning between the pages. Practitioners worldwide are now exploring innovative models using literary arts to support mental health in clinics, classrooms, and communities.
The University of Edinburgh’s Literacy Lab explore the perceived impact of reading fiction on people's wellbeing and found that it elicits a wide range of emotions — happiness, relaxation, excitement, reassurance, gratitude, tension, sadness, fear, and nostalgia. Fiction mirrors our social world, creating connections to characters, settings, and events. It contributes to personal growth by improving reading and language skills, expanding knowledge, deepening self-awareness and empathy, and inspiring new ideas.
This underscores that while libraries offer much more than books now and this is contributing to the community in many ways, access to reading materials remains vital.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to get stories like this in your inbox.
Wellbeing between the pages
There is much talk and a growing body of research about the effect of arts on wellbeing. But what happens when we are reading?
Research increasingly demonstrates reading’s positive impact on mental and social wellbeing. The International Arts+Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University reports promising mental and social health benefits, with people finding connection and meaning between the pages. Practitioners worldwide are now exploring innovative models using literary arts to support mental health in clinics, classrooms, and communities.
The University of Edinburgh’s Literacy Lab explore the perceived impact of reading fiction on people's wellbeing and found that it elicits a wide range of emotions — happiness, relaxation, excitement, reassurance, gratitude, tension, sadness, fear, and nostalgia. Fiction mirrors our social world, creating connections to characters, settings, and events. It contributes to personal growth by improving reading and language skills, expanding knowledge, deepening self-awareness and empathy, and inspiring new ideas.
This underscores that while libraries offer much more than books now and this is contributing to the community in many ways, access to reading materials remains vital.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to get stories like this in your inbox.
Wellbeing between the pages
There is much talk and a growing body of research about the effect of arts on wellbeing. But what happens when we are reading?
Research increasingly demonstrates reading’s positive impact on mental and social wellbeing. The International Arts+Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University reports promising mental and social health benefits, with people finding connection and meaning between the pages. Practitioners worldwide are now exploring innovative models using literary arts to support mental health in clinics, classrooms, and communities.
The University of Edinburgh’s Literacy Lab explore the perceived impact of reading fiction on people's wellbeing and found that it elicits a wide range of emotions — happiness, relaxation, excitement, reassurance, gratitude, tension, sadness, fear, and nostalgia. Fiction mirrors our social world, creating connections to characters, settings, and events. It contributes to personal growth by improving reading and language skills, expanding knowledge, deepening self-awareness and empathy, and inspiring new ideas.
This underscores that while libraries offer much more than books now and this is contributing to the community in many ways, access to reading materials remains vital.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to get stories like this in your inbox.
