From Observer Guardian (original article date January 9, 2005. Correction posted January 16, 2005):

Doctors usually send patients to the pharmacy to get medication, but from tomorrow GPs in one county will be packing people off to the library with prescriptions for self-help books. Those with symptoms of depression, anxiety or eating disorders will be referred to clinics where they will be prescribed books to read alongside support sessions with graduate mental health care workers. The scheme … aims to cut waiting lists for more serious cases, reduce over-prescription of drugs and offer some form of treatment for patients who may otherwise receive none.

Mind Over Mood by Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky. This was voted the most influential cognitive behavioural therapy book of all time in 2002 by the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies. It aims to build self-esteem by showing readers how to rate mood reactions, become more balanced in their thinking and do behavioural experiments.

[READ THE FULL ARTICLE] New prescription for mental health: read a good book

Photo credits: prescription pad by calvinnivlac is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0