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Reading and health covers a broad range of activity including partnership work by health services, such as Bookstart, that helps reach families and individuals who have no contact with formal education, and involve them in reading and literacy activity. It also covers work around literacy and reading that is designed to promote wellbeing and understanding of health issues, and to alleviate some of the symptoms of physical and mental illness. The breadth of work is potentially huge, encompassing bibliotherapy, early years development, work with specific groups such as the housebound, the elderly and the terminally ill, and work in specific locations such as the doctor’s surgery, the hospital, the health centre and the community venue. Some of the case studies below illustrate how health services can partner with other organisations, such as libraries, to reach new readers and improve literacy skills.
Case studies illustrating success and good practice in this area:
Research into reading and health
The 'Read Yourself Well' project is a joint scheme run by North Lincolnshire Council and the Primary Care Trust. It is also part of the Healthy Living Project in Barton.
It's a simple idea that has already worked in other parts of the country, such as Norfolk and Plymouth. Doctors and mental health workers will 'prescribe' a book to people who consult them about a common mental health problem, if they think it is appropriate. The book will help the patient address their own problem. These health problems may include anxiety, eating disorders and depression.
People who have been issued with a book prescription can take it to their local North Lincolnshire library, where staff will issue them with the book. The project is based in several North Lincolnshire libraries, including the Central Library, Ashby and Barton.
The Primary Care Trust also runs 'Read Yourself Well' self-help sessions at North Lincolnshire Central Library.
For more information visit www.northlincs.gov.uk
More than 1,100 self help books have been borrowed from Camden libraries thanks to the Books on Prescription scheme, helping residents to overcome a range of problems.
Through the scheme, run by Camden Primary Care Trust and Camden Council, GPs and other health professionals can prescribe patients with a range of self-help books to help them deal with issues such as mild depression, eating disorders, anxiety, panic attacks, anger and stress. Patients then take their prescription to one of six libraries to pick up the books.
Health professionals only prescribe the books to patients they feel would benefit from the scheme and who are keen to use this kind of approach. At present all the books are in English but there are plans to add self-help materials in other languages.
There are more than 40 Books on such schemes nationally. The popularity of these schemes has been fed by recent National Institute of Clinical Excellence (Nice) guidelines which recommend the use of self-help materials in the early treatment of mild depressions, anxiety and eating disorders.
RAYS is a partnership between Kirklees and Calderdale Libraries and the Primary Care Trusts of the NHS, a project which promotes the benefits of reading and the use of libraries for people experiencing mild to moderate depression, stress, anxiety or social isolation. In October 2000, three bibliotherapists were appointed in Kirklees, each operating at a local level, working with libraries and neighbouring health and community centres with the following objectives.
- To promote the idea of reading (particularly fiction) as an alternative to drugs, in the achievement of mental and physical well-being.
- To encourage greater use and awareness of the library services by all, but especially those suffering from social isolation.
- To support and empower the individual to improve confidence and self-esteem and to improve learning and inter-personal skills by reading, discussing and debating in small informal groups.
- To facilitate a programme of readers’ advice ‘surgeries’ and conversations about books and reading with members of the public using local health centres and other centres
- To develop the idea of reading as a social /group/community activity.
- To give people a positive and non-threatening experience of reading and the library service.
- To raise awareness amongst library staff and health professionals of the benefits of reading.
- To continue to collect hard evidence and examples of the benefits of reading for general mental and physical well-being
RAYS now works in six different areas of Kirklees and Calderdale.
For more information visit www.kirklees.gov.uk/community/libraries/activities/rays2.shtml
The 'Healthy Reading' scheme was set up by NHS Greater Glasgow's South-East Psychosocial Services (STEPS), in liaison with Glasgow City Council, East Renfrewshire Council, GPs and other health professionals - to give people with mild mental health problems speedy access to high-quality psychological self-help materials. It is estimated that patients with common mental health problems such as anxiety or depression account for around 30% of all GP consultations.
If a GP or other health professional decides that a patient with a common mental health problem may benefit from a self-help book, they will be able to issue a prescription for it, chosen from a specially supplied list of some of the best self-help books available. Book prescriptions will be written on specially printed prescription pads. Patients can then take these to any of the libraries participating in the scheme, who will lend the prescribed book.
The service is free and confidential and is available to anyone who thinks they may benefit. Research evidence suggests that on their own self-help books can be very effective in helping people overcome mild mental health problems. Depending on individual need, a self-help book can either be used on its own or alongside other treatments such as medication and counselling.
For more information visit http://www.nhsggc.org.uk/
The InterAct Reading Service is a charity set up in January 2000 to provide the only live and interactive reading service for stroke patients in Britain. The service uses more than 120 professional actors to read to stroke patients in hospitals and stroke clubs, giving them the kind of stimulation that can improve rehabilitation. The aim is to alleviate the boredom, negativity and depression that can be common for stroke patients.
Visit www.interactreading.org.
As part of its 'learning and health' strategy, NIACE has developed a pilot project called Prescriptions for Learning in collaboration with the greater Nottingham Lifelong Learning Partnership, Nottingham Health Action Zone and East Midlands Development Agency. The project explores how effective health settings may be in bringing opportunities to people who believe that education is not for them, through the employment of a learning adviser based in the surgeries of three GPs. The adviser will ensure that the surgeries have information about learning opportunities in the area, as well as developing a course discount scheme for those issued with 'prescriptions for learning'. Information will be targeted at both patients and staff, and it is hoped that the learning adviser will be able to train others so that the programme may be rolled out in other areas. NIACE will monitor the project and evaluate the impact that learning has had on individuals involved, the perceptions of healthcare workers about learning and its impact on health, and the effectiveness and replicability of the model.
For more information contact NIACE on 0116 204 4200 or visit www.niace.org.uk/research/HDE/Projects/PfL/Default.htm
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