Patients' and providers' perspectives on bibliotherapy in primary care

Abstract

Bibliotherapy is a form of self-administered treatment in which structured materials provide a means to alleviate distress. Although the treatment has evidence of effectiveness, evaluations of bibliotherapy have typically focused on outcomes, and the perspectives of both the client and the service provider have been understudied. In the present study, eleven users of a bibliotherapy scheme were interviewed regarding their experiences of bibliotherapy. In addition, five referring practitioners to the scheme were also interviewed. Thematic analyses revealed three super-ordinate themes in the transcripts: participants' personal experiences of the bibliotherapy scheme factors that facilitate change and the influence of the professionals involved. The implications of these findings for bibliotherapy schemes are considered.

The effectiveness of manual-guided, problem-solving-based self-learning programme for family caregivers of people with recent-onset psychosis: A randomised controlled trial with 6-month follow-up

“…Nevertheless, this controlled trial of bibilotherapy is one of very little research in family caregivers of people with recent-onset psychosis, and has strengthened its wider application from people with depression and anxiety to those with early psychosis (Fanner and Urquhart, 2008, McKenna et al, 2010, McCann et al, 2013.…”

“…Structured and manual guided self-help programmes may overcome limitations of insufficient resources and trusting therapist-client relationship in current family support services and also enhance the underused empowerment of caregivers to identify their health needs and cope with their distress in caring for a relative with recent-onset psychosis, particularly being their first time of adopting this caregiving role. Bibliotherapy, being a kind of self-help programme for service users, adopts guided book reading for providing information, guidance and insight into caregiving and emphasises problem-solving approach to offer strategies in identifying and resolving their life problems (Campbell andSmith, 2003, McKenna, Hevey andMartin, 2010). By empathising and personally identifying with a unique character in the prescribed reading (case study) with problem-solving practices, the caregiver can undergo some channels of psychological catharsis by inducing hope and relieving emotional frustration and turmoil (Fanner and Urquhart, 2008).…”

Legitimising bibliotherapy: evidence‐based discourses in healthcare

“…McKenna et al (2010) noted that the 'structured, transparent and clear' nature of CBT means it is highly suited to self-help bibliotherapy, and the recent focus on CBT-based treatments in the NHS helps also to explain the popularity of these schemes (Holmes, 2002;Layard, 2006). Some concerns have been noted about the books forming the basis of current practice in selfhelp bibliotherapy in the UK.…”

Transportations of space, time and self: the role of reading groups in managing mental distress in the community

“…Interacting with others who share core lived narratives can also be viewed as a way for individuals to strengthen and validate their own beliefs (Wilson, 2012). Identification with fictional characters through reading could be seen to potentially aid the discussion of feelings of distress (McKenna et al, 2010), by distancing individuals from their own particular lived experience and thus "make psychic pain bearable" (Bhattacharyya, 1997, p. 13). This is not necessarily unique to reading; in other contexts of group work, sharing problems have been seen as important for healing (Yalom, 1975).…”

“…While such potential benefits of therapeutic reading groups have been highlighted (Davis, 2009;Walwyn & Rowley, 2011), research into participants' experiences of the groups has been limited (McKenna, Hevey & Martin, 2010;Walwyn & Rowley, 2011). This project thus aimed to explore the subjective experience of reading groups, from the perspective of those attending.…”