Researchers from the University of South Australia are studying the potential effect of bibliotherapy, or being read to, by investigating the possibility of fictional reading as a form of “escape” for cancer patients.
“There is something to be said for losing yourself in a book and escaping reality for a while, particularly for people who are facing some very tough battles, including painful health conditions,” said PhD candidate Elizabeth Wells.
The idea behind her research came from studies in the United Kingdom (pdf), where bibliotherapy—reading as a form of therapy—was found to improve “mental health, grief, and even chronic pain.”
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