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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Mihirini SirisenaORCiD, Professor Eileen KanerORCiD, Dr Angela WearnORCiD, Dr Simon Hackett
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
© Royal Society for Public Health 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).Introduction: While the current evidence base indicates that reading for pleasure facilitates many wellbeing related outcomes such as relaxation and escapism, little research has focused on the interplay between reading and wellbeing in detail. This review explores the evidence on reading for pleasure initiatives with a view of developing a theoretical understanding of the context and potential underlying causal mechanisms which support or inhibit wellbeing in adults. Method: We conducted a realist review whereby data collation, extraction, synthesis and analysis were conducted iteratively. The literature searches were conducted in January to February 2022 and May 2023. Results: In total, 43 papers were included. The literature highlighted seven interlinked mechanisms underlying reading for pleasure interventions at the level of the individual and as groups. These included reconnecting with reading, space away from daily stressors, perspective taking to enhance empathic abilities, creating and reawakening memories, intellectual stimulation, collective meaning-making and a conducive environment. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that reading for pleasure enhances processes such as feelings of positivity, self-understanding, empathic relations, which impact upon a reader’s salutogenic assets such as self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, and connectedness.
Author(s): Sirisena M, Redgate S, Kaner E, Wearn A, Hackett S, Wojciechowska A, Lhussier M
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Perspectives in Public Health
Year: 2025
Pages: epub ahead of print
Online publication date: 01/12/2025
Acceptance date: 02/04/2018
ISSN (print): 1757-9139
ISSN (electronic): 1757-9147
Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/17579139251371961
DOI: 10.1177/17579139251371961
PubMed id: 41321266
