Whilst books might not provide a medical antidote to health problems, there are emerging schemes that might go some way to helping those faced with challenging health problems.

A new scheme promoting book-based therapy for dementia sufferers will be launched in libraries in England in January 2015. The ‘Books on Prescription‘ scheme comes from The Reading Agency and The Society of Chief Librarians and will see GPs and health professionals prescribe books to patients. It’s been endorsed by GPs, mental health professionals and Government ministers as a helpful community-based mental health service. Loans of the self-help books included in the scheme are said to have more than doubled since it was launched.

In a recent survey, nearly everyone who had borrowed a book from the Books on Prescription core list of 30 titles said it had been helpful, with around three quarters saying their book had helped them understand more about their condition and feel more confident about managing their symptoms.

And I’ve noticed book remedies popping up in other places. The Novel Cure is a website offering a ‘boost’ in the form of a novel. Whether it’s a ‘Positive Cure for your Pessimism’ or ‘Bronte to re-boot your Broken Heart’, founders Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin will answer your ailments in their online ‘surgery’.

Kathryn, Publishing Assistant