Get Into Reading groups work to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals in community settings, through to inpatient services and high secure hospitals.

“Get Into Reading is one of the biggest developments to have happened in mental health practice in the last ten years.” Dr David Fearnley, Psychiatrist of the Year 2009, Medical Director, Mersey Care NHS Trust

Get Into Reading groups help to improve personal wellbeing through:

• human interaction and self-reflection

• encouragement of expression in talking about the text

• weekly sessions, providing valuable structure and a meaningful activity

Build greater self-confidence by:

• focusing on the positive within each individual
• providing a safe, comfortable environment
• encouraging people to read aloud
• helping people to connect with, understand, a rich variety of reading material

Increase empathy and insight:

• particularly for people in high secure or forensic units

“Hospitals can do many great and wonderful things but they cannot provide friends or a valid reason to get out of bed, like reading together can.”

Acute Mental Health

Our weekly shared reading groups have been proven to be effective in a wide range of specialist services, including Psychiatric Intensive Care, Early Intervention in Psychosis, Drug and Alcohol, Older Peoples’ mental health, Eating Disorders, Brain Injury and Neurological wards, and Learning Disabilities, such as Asperger’s.

Case Study:

At an acute psychiatric hospital, Tom attended a group on the men’s ward for several months. He was suffering from severe depression and rarely engaged with other activities at the hospital. However, speaking about the reading group, he remarked, ‘I really enjoy it. It’s of real interest to me.’ This absorption from someone who is otherwise disinterested in living was a significant improvement in his condition.  Reading with Tom has jump-started his old routines, the loss of which possibly contributed to a decline in his mental health. He spoke about the past when he ‘used to read but got out of it. This has put me back on to reading.’

On Prescription

We have been commissioned to work with six GP practices across Liverpool to provide Get Into Reading ‘on prescription’. This pilot scheme will see patients with mild to moderate mental health problems being offered a place in a weekly shared reading group as an alternative to, or alongside, drug treatment. Referrals can also be made via health trainers and other community workers; people will also be able to self-refer.

“I’m delighted to be able to offer Get Into Reading to my patients. Engagement with others in a meaningful relationship, and the added value brought by books, makes GIR a powerful tool for many patients with mental health problems. It provides them with new opportunities to increase understanding and lead their own lives.” Christopher Dowrick, Professor of Primary Medical Care, University of Liverpool, and GP, Aintree Park Group Practice

Readers-in-Residence

Since 2007, The Reader Organisation has been commissioned to deliver Get Into Reading into the heart of mental health services. Our Reader-in-Residence project with Mersey Care NHS Trust expands at a rate of 30% each year by working together with mental health professionals to recruit and run groups in wards, day hospitals and community settings.  With training from The Reader Organisation and support from the Trust’s Knowledge and Library Services, Mersey Care staff are able to take over the facilitation of the weekly sessions, freeing the Readers-in-Residence up to start groups in new sites. Groups are run by psychiatrists and nursing assistants, occupational therapists and activity workers, psychologists, librarians, chaplains and groups have been run by the Chief Executive and Medical Director.

To find out more about how sessions run, as well as a range of project options, including taster sessions, short-term pilots, readers-in-residence and training, please contact us: info@thereader.org.uk.