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| | | | |  | Practitioners of bibliotherapy believe using fiction as a form of therapy works because it allows readers to use stories to figure out how to improve their well-being. But it's not enough to get lost in a good book. Experts say discussion of the reading material is key. (Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images) |
Amina Zafar
| The novels Atmosphere, Book Boyfriend and Can't Get Enough might be in your stack of beach reads, but are they good for your mental health? While reading a novel and escaping into a fictional world can be enjoyable, those who study and practice bibliotherapy, the use of written materials as a form of treatment for mental health conditions, suggest there are aspects of reading that can measurably improve our well-being. It's not a new concept. Though the term bibliotherapy was coined in a 1916 article by American essayist and minister Samuel McChord Crothers, American psychiatrists and other physicians as far back as the early 1800s argued that reading benefited their patients and pushed for hospitals to include libraries.
In more recent times, bibliotherapy refers to things like self-help books and workbooks that clinical therapists can direct patients to read or complete to improve their mental health.
Researchers are now exploring how creative bibliotherapy can use novels, poetry, plays or even picture books to achieve the same result.
Hoi Cheu, a trained marriage and family therapist and professor at the School of Liberal Arts at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ont., uses bibliotherapy to help patients cope with challenges such as loneliness.
He says for bibliotherapy to work, the therapist needs to learn what he called "the story of the patient."
Many who practice clinical bibliotherapy ask patients to find readings that interest them, then observe how they respond to the literature, he said in an email.
| | |  | Readers seeing aspects of themselves in a character on the page, or relating to a character's experiences in a book can help people feel less alone, according to Toronto psychologist Judith Laposa. ( Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images) | | | Cheu, whose PhD thesis was titled Zen and the Art of James Joyce, likened the use of creative bibliotherapy to the practice of Chinese herbal medicine.
"In short, reading literature is a process, and the readings are tools, not drugs."
Cheu says literary bibliotherapy works because it allows readers to use stories to figure out how to repair their own dysfunctional narratives.
But simply reading a book may not be enough to improve our well-being, according to James Carney, an associate professor at the London Interdisciplinary School in the U.K.
Carney, who has used a series of small experiments and questionnaires to study what makes creative bibliotherapy helpful, says he's found that the discussion of the reading material is more beneficial than the act of reading itself.
For example, he says it helps if patients can reflect on the material they've just read with a therapist or group to tease out how it may be relevant to their situation.
"What happens is a book gains its impact in conversation," Carney said. "You discuss what you've read. You reflect upon what you've read in a way that is socially activated. That typically has the main impact."
| | | Regular cannabis use can cause a serious vomiting syndrome. Should people be warned?
|  | People who use cannabis several times a week for many years can experience serious, cyclic vomiting symptoms known as cannabis hyperemesis syndrome or CHS. Research suggests emergency room visits with the condition are on the rise. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
| When Brittany Ramsey started experiencing "awful stomach episodes" she thought it must've been side effects of the medication she was taking to manage her diabetes.
But after a particularly gruelling episode where she just could not stop vomiting — not being keep down even small sips of water — that landed her in hospital, Ramsey knew something felt different about what she was experiencing.
"From then, the episodes got worse and worse, and closer together," said Ramsey, a 35-year-old operations trainer at a financial firm in Cincinnati, Ohio. "From 2021 to 2024 … three years, I was hospitalized 29 times. Five ambulance trips – one actually had to pick me up on the side of the road because I couldn't make it to the hospital."
After years of undergoing, at times, invasive testing procedures to rule out Crohn's disease, gastroparesis and diverticulitis, a doctor told Ramsey about cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS).
In recent years some emergency rooms have been seeing an uptick in visits due to cyclic episodes of uncontrollable vomiting in cannabis users, often characterized by experiencing temporary relief with hot showers and baths. Since it was first identified in medical literature in 2004, CHS cases have increased, possibly because of greater cannabis access or higher THC potency of products.
Public health researchers suggest more awareness of CHS within the health-care system is needed for cannabis users to get the information and support they need.
Read more on why increased visits to emergency departments due to CHS could be because of higher THC content.
| | | Cross-Canada health news from CBC |  | Nutrition warning labels are hitting shelves near you — earlier than expected | CBC Nova Scotia | | | | | How does Alberta's new COVID-19 vaccine policy compare to other provinces? We asked | CBC Calgary | | | | | How some students with disabilities avoid the 'transition cliff' after high school | CBC Nova Scotia | | | | | THE NATIONAL | VIDEO | With warm temperatures arriving for much of Canada, experts are reminding people about the importance of staying safe around local lakes and rivers, which are the sites of most accidental drownings.
| | | | | Trending research | | | | Metabolic and bariatric surgery utilization in the era of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists [like Ozempic] among adolescents versus adults | Journal of Pediatrics | | | | | The potential global health impact and cost-effectiveness of next-generation influenza vaccines | PLOS Medicine | | | | | | | THE BIG NUMBER | 450 | Health Canada's drug early warning system identified 450 substances from January 2023 to December 2024. Of these, 189 new and emerging ones — such as fentanyl analogues — were detected in wastewater, according to the latest available data.
The department's drug early warning system focuses on the illegal drug market by combining data from drug samples submitted by law enforcement, wastewater monitoring and checks of online forums.
About three-quarters of all accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths in Canada involved fentanyl in 2024, while the proportion of deaths involving fentanyl analogues, like carfentanil, continues to rise, Health Canada said. Public health officials in several provinces have put out notices warning people of overdose cases involving carfentanil, a synthetic opioid.
| | | | | Stories we found interesting this week | | | | Canada set up a $50M vaccine injury program. Those harmed feel discarded | Global News | | | | | | | RFK Jr. singled out one study to cut funds for global vaccines. Is that study valid? | NPR | | | | | | |  |
White Coat, Black Art and The Dose are taking a break for the summer and will return after Labour Day with a new season. Check out our feed where we’ll feature some recent popular shows.
Play on CBC Listen | | | |  | July 5-6
ENCORE: The toll of cannabis-induced psychosis
When Kalpit Sharma started smoking high-THC weed several times a day, he thought he was just "living his life" as a university student. But then, he started hearing voices. Researcher Dr. Daniel Myran shares the science behind stories like Kalpit’s – and why young men are particularly at risk for concerning mental health outcomes.
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