Reading Can Help Ease Symptoms of Depression

Reading can help ease the symptoms of depression, according to multiple studies.

Many a bookworm will tell you that curling up with a paperback is a salve for the mind. And it seems scientists agree — with research suggesting reading can ease depression.

While it is not a cure, experts believe it is effective and could reduce the reliance on antidepressants in some cases. GPs in England dished out a record 64.7 million antidepressant prescriptions in 2016 for patients suffering with depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Read more

Brain Function Improves for DAYS After Reading a Novel

Researchers from Emory University found that brain function improves for several days after reading a powerful work of fiction.

Many people have claimed that reading a special book has transformed their life, but now scientists have discovered that enjoying a novel can make a real, measurable change in the brain too.

U.S. researchers used fMRI scanners to identify brain networks associated with reading stories and found that changes in the brain linger for a few days after reading a powerful work of fiction.

They set out to unravel the mystery of how stories ‘get into’ the brain and find the lingering effects of literature. Read more