Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Chiropractic Humanities logoLink to Journal of Chiropractic Humanities
. 2024 Oct 1;31:48–54. doi: 10.1016/j.echu.2024.08.001

Library as a Therapeutic Landscape Promoting Health and Well-Being to Chiropractic Students: A Descriptive Report

Natalia Tukhareli 1,⁎
PMCID: PMC11632151  PMID: 39669875

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this paper is to describe a bibliotherapy-based wellness initiative that was developed at the health science library at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.

Methods

A comprehensive literature review and consultations with stakeholders were completed. A bibliotherapy program, which included the practice of using books and reading to promote mental health, well-being, and resilience for chiropractic students, was developed and launched in January 2020. The program included shared reading, reflection, and a guided group discussion. Short readings of various genres (i.e., poetry, fiction, nonfiction) were tailored specifically to address psychological, emotional, and social challenges facing students.

Results

The program participant feedback showed that shared reading helped students cope with anxiety, worries, and loneliness and isolation caused by the pandemic, as consistent with bibliotherapy research.

Conclusion

The bibliotherapy program at this 1 location seemed to be well-received by chiropractic students. The program was recognized by faculty and college administrators as a valuable addition to other mental health and wellness support services available on campus. These findings suggest future research to evaluate the potential efficacy of bibliotherapy for the mental health, well-being, and resilience of chiropractic students.

Key Indexing Terms: Bibliotherapy, Libraries, Mental health, Students

Introduction

The increase in prevalence and severity of burnout and mental health conditions in undergraduate students is a widespread problem on college and university campuses.1 Due to additional stressors, such as a heavy workload caused by training demands and high-stakes examinations, medical school peer relations, exposure to human suffering, concerns about future, and financial stressors, health professions students report higher prevalence of psychological distress compared to the general student population.2, 3 Research studies evaluate depression, anxiety, and burnout in professional health care students, including chiropractic, identify risk factors for poor undergraduate mental health, and address wide-ranging effects of student mental health including its impact on student life, academic success, and patient care.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 A 2022 study by Meckamalil et al. showed that moderate to extremely severe symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression are common among undergraduate chiropractic students.2 Another recent study done by Tam et al. found that approximately half of the participating chiropractic students suffered from burnout.8 Student mental health has generally worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety have been found in health care students since the outbreak.9, 10, 11, 12 There is an increasing need to provide students with adequate resources to help them cope with psychological distress and burnout and build resilience.1,2,12

Within this context, libraries in colleges and universities increasingly seek for effective ways to promote mental health, well-being, and resilience to students, thus playing important roles in supporting organizational strategies to improve campus health.13, 14, 15 Many academic libraries have been participating in or creating their own wellness initiatives to support student well-being.15 In line with recent trends in wellness interventions in academic libraries and the institutional strategic goal to improve the health and well-being of the campus community at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, the health sciences library aims to create a “therapeutic landscape” promoting student mental health and wellness through its spaces, collections, and services. In the light of the growing understanding that student well-being is a multidimensional concept that encompasses physical, social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and environmental aspects,15 the author's goal was to incorporate various facets of wellness into the library's wellness activities and programs. Since 2020, in addition to developing special collections on mental health and healthy lifestyle, the library has been offering several wellness services to students. These include a “light therapy” program to help students cope with Seasonal Affective Disorder; a dog therapy program to reduce examination stress and anxiety; and puzzle and coloring stations to provide students with short breaks from studies. The library has also integrated bibliotherapy-based reading programs into its services.

Bibliotherapy is a recognized evidence-based practice to promote mental health and wellness to diverse populations through a variety of clinical and nonclinical interventions involving books, reading and communication around texts.16, 17, 18, 19 It can be defined as the systematic use of books to assist individuals in dealing with mental, physical, emotional, developmental, or social problems and building coping skills and resilience.16 This widely recognized practice is aligned with other similar practices, such as art and music therapies, emphasizing the idea of the healing and consoling power of art through its various forms. Bibliotherapy offers a variety of successful applications that could be delivered both in-person and online—in virtual rooms or through organizational websites and newsletters.

There exists qualitative and quantitative evidence that bibliotherapy in a form of a self-help intervention and a shared reading group can provide positive physical and psychosocial outcomes for the well-being and quality of life of patients with common mental health problems (depression, anxiety, stress, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social phobia, eating disorders) and people coping with various life challenges, such as unemployment, poverty, relocation, loss and bereavement, family crisis, and aging.16, 17, 18, 19 As related to student population, bibliotherapy has been shown to be efficient in lowering examination stress,20 enhancing forgiveness and decreasing anxiety, depression, and fatigue in nursing students,21 improving the mental health and psychological flexibility of college students living abroad,22 increasing mindfulness in college students,23 and improving sexual assault prevention on campus.24

Previous studies investigated benefits of a self-help bibliotherapy for mental health and wellness of medical and nursing students.20, 21 To the author's knowledge, there is no existing research published on the topic of a shared reading model of bibliotherapy aimed to support well-being of health professions students. By suggesting an additional way of promoting health and wellness to chiropractic students, the study will contribute to the broader discussion on wellness initiatives that may help students of chiropractic and other health professions education programs to better cope with challenges of their professional training and future clinical practice. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to describe a bibliotherapy-based wellness initiative that was developed at the health sciences library at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.

Methods

A review of the library science and bibliotherapy research and consultations with stakeholders were completed to prepare for the development of this initiative. The author conducted a comprehensive literature search to identify the library science research addressing student wellness in academic libraries and studies reporting on current applications of a nonclinical bibliotherapy that can be delivered via a library service A literature search was performed in MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, ERIC, and Google Scholar from January 2014 to January 2024. A combination of keywords “bibliotherapy,” “book therapy,” “shared reading,” “group bibliotherapy,” “self-help bibliotherapy,” “academic libraries,” “health libraries,” “library services,” “mental health,” “well-being,” and “wellness” was used to identify relevant citations.

The author met with the representatives of Student Services and Student Mindfulness Club to identify student needs as related to mental health support and discuss the opportunities for collaboration. During these consultations, the need of various mindfulness activities and programs was identified based on student interest in mindfulness practices and growing evidence on the effects of mindfulness for reducing stress and anxiety and improving psychological well-being and academic success in medical students.25, 26 Furthermore, previous research showed that bibliotherapy can be effectively used as a part of a stress reduction intervention aimed to increase mindfulness in college students23 and employee volunteers from a large academic medical center.27 Given that mindful reading and reflection are embedded into a bibliotherapy process, it was suggested that the integration of the bibliotherapy approach into the library's wellness services could be a valuable addition to existing mindfulness-based programs on campus, such as meditation, yoga, and mindful walking.

Based on the findings of the literature review and consultations with stakeholders, the bibliotherapy approach in a form of shared reading was identified to address student wellness in the library. This study received ethics review exemption from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College Research Ethics Board chair.

Program Description

Launched in January 2020, an innovative bibliotherapy-based reading program “Mindful Reading” aimed to support the chiropractic student mental health, well-being, and resilience. The approach used in the program was previously featured in bibliotherapy programs for healthcare providers and diverse community groups in Ontario, Canada.28, 29, 30 The author used various channels to promote the program to students, such as emails to class representatives, informational flyers, and announcements on the library's social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and hallway displays on campus. Student Mindfulness Club circulated invitations to each weekly bibliotherapy session through their social media accounts.

The ‘Mindful Reading’ program involved shared reading, reflection, and a guided discussion in small groups (5-6 people in a group) facilitated by a librarian in the library's room for meditation or mindfulness. Following the recommendation from Student Mindfulness Club, at the beginning of the program the reading selection was limited to poetry only. The decision was supported by the findings from an earlier study that showed that the use of poetry has proved to be especially beneficial in triggering quick responses that would engage the group in meaningful discussions.29

During a 30-minute bibliotherapy session, a facilitator and students would take turns to read aloud a poem and share their thoughts, reflections or recollections triggered by readings with the group. Selected poems by various authors representing different cultural and literary traditions (e.g., Rumi, Mary Oliver, Emily Dickinson, Juan Ramon Jimenez, Rupi Kaur, Chief Dan George) facilitated discussion around mental health, resiliency, and mindfulness. Handouts with readings included 4-5 poems and were circulated to the group at the beginning of the session.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was temporary put on hold and resumed in March 2020 in online format. Students were invited to attend 30-minute weekly sessions in Zoom on a drop-in basis. The reading selection was broadened to include poetry and excerpts from fiction (a short story, a novel) and nonfiction (a memoir, an autobiography, works in psychology or philosophy, self-help books, etc.). By including readings of various genres into thematic compilations, the aim was to provide students with more opportunities for reflection and to educate them on stress management and resilience-building strategies supported by evidence-based research. Readings typically included 1-2 poems, an excerpt from a short story or a novel, and 1-2 excerpts from nonfiction texts addressing a particular topic. Prior to reading a passage from a fictional work, a facilitator would usually give a brief summary of a short story or a novel to present an excerpt within the wider context.

Given the flexibility of the described bibliotherapy approach, it was possible to easily adjust the program content (i.e., addressed topics and material selection) to the needs of students struggling with the pressures brought by the pandemic. Readings invited students to reflect on core existential themes, such as adversity, changes and transitions in life, resilience, meaning and purpose in life, loss and grief. They also included updates on the evidence-based strategies in managing stress and burnout and building resilience, such as music therapy, nature therapy, benefits of laughter, and mindfulness and meditation. As many participants could not commit to regularly attending the program, the goal was to complete the readings and discussion on a specific topic in 1 session.

When selecting readings, relevance of materials to the topics addressed was considered; high literary quality of fiction and poetry; and evidence-based support for nonfiction materials. The author ensured the high quality of reading materials by selecting fiction and poetry by prominent classical and contemporary authors. When selecting nonfictional materials (e.g., works in psychology, philosophy, environmental sciences, neuroscience), the author's expertise in a particular field of the humanities, social sciences, and health sciences was considered. The author also ensured the diversity of reading selection. The compilations included readings from classical and contemporary authors representing different cultural and spiritual traditions. The goal was to select the readings that would speak to students of various backgrounds, which eventually would enhance the chance for students to connect with the readings to pause, reflect, and potentially gain insights into their own situations and life problems.

Throughout the selection process, the use of materials stayed within the boundaries of fair dealing in Canadian copyright law. For works available in the public domain, proper citations were provided for all materials.

In March-May 2020, the library collaborated with Human Resources to extend the bibliotherapy service to the college employees to create a room for recreational reading and reflection during the challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thematic compilations of readings were delivered to faculty and staff through a weekly electronic newsletter. The compilations included on average 5 reading materials of various genres.

Results

Overall, 29 students participated in the “Mindful Reading” program between January and May 2020. The number of students attending in-person sessions varied from 4 to 7 people, with smaller groups (3 to 5 people) joining weekly online sessions during the campus closure.

Figure 1 provides examples of reading materials used to address specific topics (Fig 1).

Fig 1.

Fig 1

Open in a new tab

Examples of reading materials about specific topics.

Due to the walk-in format of online weekly reading sessions during the campus closure, the program's design did not include a formal evaluation. However, the participant feedback collected through informal conversations and an online comment box during the Zoom sessions showed that the shared reading sessions provided an additional opportunity to destress, which helped students and employees to deal with challenges triggered by the pandemic. The participants of the program shared that the readings (1) provided a break from the overwhelming amount of daily pandemic-related information (“I forgot that there were other things than Covid to talk about."; “A great break from Covid news. When I talk to my parents or friends, it's all about Covid.”); (2) created an opportunity for reflection and sharing their anxiety, worries, and frustration caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in an informal setting (“I am tired of Zoom, but these meetings are different. I worry too much and sharing helps.”); (3) provided insights into dealing with adversity (“I agree with what she [Mary Oliver] says here, worrying doesn't help.”; “I also think that it's better when we accept that things can be difficult, I tried before, it's not easy but worth trying.”; “Yes, much depends on how we see things, even now we can still notice good things that are happening around.”); and (4) helped to deal with loneliness and isolation during the campus shutdown (“I look forward to our readings, it's good to see people and talk about something meaningful.”; “Thanks for doing this, helps to stay connected.”). Some acknowledged that they shared the compilations with their family members and friends, thus expanding the circle of individuals who benefited from the program.

The overall success of the “Mindful Reading” program has encouraged us to further expand the program in a postpandemic environment. Following the recommendation by VP, Academic, a new bibliotherapy-based program was launched on September 30, 2022, to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, as part of the institutional initiatives to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to campus community. The “Storytelling Circle” program aimed to address the indigenous matters (residential schools, the indigenous system of values, reconciliation) in a series of read-aloud sessions. The sessions were held in person and involved shared reading of writings by indigenous authors followed by a group discussion. More than 30 people (students, faculty, and administrators) attended each of the first two sessions in 2022-2023. The “Storytelling Circle” program is ongoing.

Discussion

The results of this initiative suggest that in the light of increased stress and burnout of college students, libraries in chiropractic institutions can expand their wellness services by integrating a bibliotherapy-based reading program to support student well-being and resilience. The positive feedback provided by the participants of “Mindful Reading” program is consistent with the results of the evaluation survey in the previous study28 that showed the effectiveness of the bibliotherapy-based intervention in promoting mental health, well-being, resilience, and personal growth to healthcare providers in a community hospital setting. The survey respondents reported that readings contributed to improved well-being (provided relaxation and/or reduced stress) and provided insights or a new perspective on their current situation in life and/or at work. These results are similar to the findings of the studies of shared reading groups in community settings which reported the psychological and social benefits of read-aloud sessions for diverse populations.18,19,29,30

These findings also suggest that bibliotherapy's value in addressing student mental health and wellness has further increased during times of crisis, such as COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has intensified the search for effective ways to address mental health and well-being of college and university students coping with stress, anxiety, grief, fatigue, and other psychological and emotional issues. However, finding those strategies became more challenging since most of the traditional wellness programs offered in academic institutions, such as group physical activities, meditation, social club gatherings, etc., suddenly became unavailable due to campus closures and social distancing. Thankfully, access to the wealth of the world literature is available to draw upon its power to console, heal and guide us through life challenges and hardships. Most life problems of a personal or social nature have been addressed through world literature multiple times and from multiple perspectives, books may provide readers with insights into their particular situations and most importantly make them feel less alone. Readings included into the library's compilations created space to explore important questions about life, adversity, suffering, meaning and purpose, loneliness, and other existential issues that were particularly well-suited to confront and talk through in the context of a traumatic global event, such as COVID-19 pandemic. They also educated students on new approaches in stress management and suggested healthy living tools that can help activate one's personal resources, strengthen healthy thinking, and develop an individual strategy to respond to stressors in life. The accessibility of the bibliotherapy program in the “online only” environment has further increased its value. The observations are consistent with the findings of previous studies that reported on benefits of both clinical and nonclinical bibliotherapy applications for patients and general population in the COVID-19 pandemic environment when online bibliotherapy reached people in their actual homes.30,31 The 2021 systematic review exploring bibliotherapy as a complementary resource to the clinical treatment of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study suggests that bibliotherapy is a low-cost alternative that can reach those unable to access treatment during the pandemic situation.31

These results helped the author to understand that bibliotherapy may provide an effective venue to foster resilience within an academic institution. Thematic compilations of readings provided students with an opportunity to reflect on the complexity of life and the importance of cultivating resilience to better cope with various problems that they may face in their lives, such as the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion topics revolved around adversity as a natural part of life and one's capacity to cope with life challenges, adapt to change, and “bounce back” from traumatic experiences. At the same time, readings promoted effective resilience-building strategies that help to improve one's ability to endure hardships and deal with life's constant change. During the guided discussion, students reflected on their past or present life situations and shared about various struggles and pressures in their lives intensified by the pandemic and about specific strategies that helped them to cope with difficult situations in the past. Overall, the findings of this study showed that shared reading, reflection, and communication around stories of resilience addressed in the books and those shared by program participants were helping students to identify ways that were likely to work well for them as part of their own personal strategies for fostering resilience. This is particularly important within the context of a broader academic discussion around the resilience training that can mitigate the adverse effects of the diverse challenges in medical and chiropractic schools.12,32, 33, 34 The authors of the recent study exploring chiropractic student resilience emphasized that without developing the knowledge and skills that support personal resilience, the stressors experienced in chiropractic school may follow practitioners into practice.34 Literature claims that resilience is one of the best lines of defense against negative stressors (burnout, depression, fatigue, and unsatisfactory quality of life)34 and suggests that it needs to be promoted early in medical training to prevent burnout in students and future clinicians.33 By addressing adversity and resilience through mindful reading and reflective practice, bibliotherapy may help students to build or enhance individual resilience.

Also, the observations made throughout the program implementation showed that weekly reading sessions provided students with a much-needed space for social contact and an empathic connection. This was especially beneficial on account of COVID-19 pandemic when the campus closure and physical-distancing measures prevented students from seeing their families and friends and made them feel lonely and isolated. By connecting to their peers in an informal setting, students had an opportunity to share their everyday struggles and most importantly create an empathic connection with the members of a reading group, which is “in itself a healing action.”35 This observation is consistent with findings of bibliotherapy studies that emphasize the effectiveness of shared reading groups in decreasing the social isolation, promoting empathy, and building a sense of community among people with similar problems, including those dealing with stigmatization.14,16,17,24,25

From the library's perspective, one of the advantages of the program was its low cost composed of the cost of reading materials (books not available online or through the public library loan) and the librarian time cost. This is particularly important since there is rarely additional funding available to support libraries’ own wellness programs.15 Another benefit for the library was that the program created a new opportunity for collaboration with other departments and student clubs on campus.

One barrier identified during the implementation of the program was the librarian's time. Selection of reading materials is a time-consuming task, which involves extensive searching, reading, critical evaluation of the quality of materials (particularly self-help books and online health educational resources), as well as a creative process of compiling readings under a certain theme. The average time required to develop and deliver one weekly session was 4.5 hours. It became obvious that weekly sessions were not sustainable given the rest of the librarian's workload. The modification to the program will include the frequency of bibliotherapy sessions. In the future, the program delivery will be adjusted from weekly to biweekly.

Limitations

The limitations of this report include the small number of students who participated in the program. The drop in student participants from March to May 2020 was attributed to the online fatigue experienced by students after the chiropractic program was moved online. Another limitation was the lack of formal evaluation due to the walk-in format of the program during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the future, moving the program back in-person and conducting a formal evaluation using pre- and post-program surveys could be considered.

Conclusion

This paper describes the successful implementation of a bibliotherapy program at 1 location. The bibliotherapy approach has the potential to promote reflective practice on campus to assist chiropractic students in mitigating stress and burnout and building or enhancing individual resilience. The library's wellness initiative was recognized by students, faculty, and college administrators as a valuable addition to available support services. Bibliotherapy in the form of shared reading provided a simple, accessible, and effective way of promoting health, well-being, resilience, and personal growth to chiropractic students. It helped to raise student awareness of available resources that may help activate their inner resources and develop coping skills and resilience, which became especially valuable in the face of adversity and an existential crisis experienced during the global pandemic. These findings suggest future study should be completed to evaluate the potential efficacy of bibliotherapy for mental health, well-being, and resilience of chiropractic students.

Acknowledgments

Ethical Approval

This study received ethics review exemption from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College Research Ethics Board chair.

Funding Sources and Conflicts of Interest

No funding sources or conflicts of interest were reported for this study.

Contributorship Information

NT: Concept development (provided idea for the research), Design (planned the methods to generate the results), Supervision (oversight, organization, and implementation), Data collection/processing (experiments, organization, or reporting data), Analysis/interpretation (analysis, evaluation, presentation of results), Literature search (performed the literature search), Writing (responsible for writing a substantive part of the manuscript), Critical review (revised manuscript for intellectual content).

Practical Applications.

  • •

    Bibliotherapy may provide a venue to promote student mental health and well-being and foster resilience within a chiropractic college.

  • •

    Bibliotherapy may help students cope with anxiety, worries, burnout, loneliness, and isolation.

  • •

    Bibliotherapy's value in addressing student mental health and wellness increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alt-text: Unlabelled box

References

  • 1.Sheldon E, Simmonds-Buckley M, Bone C, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for mental health problems in university undergraduate students: a systematic review with meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2021;287:282–292. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.03.054. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Meckamalil C, Brodie L, Hogg-Johnson S, Carroll LJ, Jacobs C, Côté P. The prevalence of anxiety, stress and depressive symptoms in undergraduate students at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. J Am Coll Health. 2022;70(2):371–376. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2020.1751173. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Hill MR, Goicochea S, Merlo LJ. In their own words: stressors facing medical students in the millennial generation. Med Educ Online. 2018;23(1) doi: 10.1080/10872981.2018.1530558. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Kizhakkeveettil A, Vosko AM, Brash M, Philips MA. Perceived stress and fatigue among students in a doctor of chiropractic training program. J Chiropr Educ. 2017;31(1):8–13. doi: 10.7899/JCE-15-27. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Kinsinger S, Puhl AA, Reinhart CJ. Depressive symptoms in chiropractic students: a 3-year study. J Chiropr Educ. 2011;25(2):142–150. doi: 10.7899/1042-5055-25.2.142. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Ward KL, Koen K, Fernando ST, Smith M. Mental health and lifestyle behaviors of students in a doctor of chiropractic program. J Chiropr Educ. 2023;37(1):1–6. doi: 10.7899/JCE-21-30. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Rubin LE. Student mental health in a chiropractic university setting. J Chiropr Educ. 2008;22(1):12–16. doi: 10.7899/1042-5055-22.1.12. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Tam G, Cooper JC, Priest GC, Moore MP, Pohlman K. Burnout syndrome in a single cohort of chiropractic students: a longitudinal study. J Chiropr Educ. 2024;38(1):17–22. doi: 10.7899/JCE-23-13. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Zhu J, Racine N, Xie EB, et al. Post-secondary student mental health during COVID-19: a meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry. 2021;12 doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.777251. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Jia Q, Qu Y, Sun H, Huo H, Yin H, You D. Mental health among medical students during COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Psychol. 2022;13 doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.846789. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Paz DC, Bains MS, Zueger ML, et al. COVID-19 and mental health: a systematic review of international medical student surveys. Front Psychol. 2022;13 doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1028559. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 12.Haskett LA, Doster DL, Athanasiadis DI, et al. Resilience matters: student perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 on medical education. Am J Surg. 2022;224(1):358–362. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2022.01.022. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Cox A, Brewster L. Library support for student mental health and well-being in the UK: before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Acad Libr. 2020;46(6) doi: 10.1016/j.acalib.2020.102256. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Holder S, Lannon A., editors. Student Wellness and Academic Libraries: Case Studies and Activities for Promoting Health and Success. ACRL; IL: 2020. [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Bladek M. Student well-being matters: academic library support for the whole student. J Acad Libr. 2021;47(3) [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Tukhareli N. Edwin Mellen Press; Lewiston (NY): 2014. Healing Through Books: The Evolution and Diversification of Bibliotherapy. [Google Scholar]
  • 17.McNicol S, Brewster L., editors. Bibliotherapy. Facet Publishing; London, UK: 2018. [Google Scholar]
  • 18.Dowrick C, Billington J, Robinson J, Hamer A, Williams C. Get into reading as an intervention for common mental health problems: exploring catalysts for change. Med Humanit. 2012;38(1):15–20. doi: 10.1136/medhum-2011-010083. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Hodge S, Robinson J, Davis P. Reading between the lines: the experiences of taking part in a community reading project. J Med Ethics. 2007;33:100–104. doi: 10.1136/jmh.2006.000256. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 20.Hamdan W, Al Duaijy L, Al Sawy Y. Effectiveness of bibliotherapy in alleviating examination stress on college students: a quasi-experimental trial. 2021;38(3):172-181. [DOI] [PubMed]
  • 21.Kim JJ, Mullen LM, Akers SW, et al. The efficacy of a forgiveness bibliotherapy: a randomized controlled trial with nursing students. J Holist Nurs. 2022;40(4):336–350. doi: 10.1177/08980101211072288. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Muto T, Hayes SC, Jeffcoat T. The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy bibliotherapy for enhancing the psychological health of Japanese college students living abroad. Behav Ther. 2011;42(2):323–335. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2010.08.009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 23.Hazlett-Stevens H, Oren Y. Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction bibliotherapy: a preliminary randomized controlled trial. J Clin Psychol. 2017;73(6):626–637. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22370. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 24.Yeater EA, Naugle AE, O'Donohue W, Bradley AR. Sexual assault prevention with college-aged women: a bibliotherapy approach. Clin Trial. 2004;19(5):593–612. doi: 10.1891/vivi.19.5.593.63685. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 25.Galante J, Dufour G, Vainre M, et al. A mindfulness-based intervention to increase resilience to stress in university students (the Mindful Student Study): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Lancet Public Health. 2018;3(2):e72–e81. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(17)30231-1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 26.McConville J, McAleer R, Hahne A. Mindfulness training for health profession students—the effect of mindfulness training on psychological well-being, learning and clinical performance of health professional students: a systematic review of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials. Explore (NY) 2017;13(1):26–45. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2016.10.002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 27.Sharma V, Sood A, Prasad K, Loehrer L, Schroeder D, Brent B. Bibliotherapy to decrease stress and anxiety and increase resilience and mindfulness: a pilot trial. Explore (NY) 2014;10(4):248–252. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2014.04.002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 28.Tukhareli N. Bibliotherapy-based wellness program for healthcare providers: using books and reading to create a healthy workplace. J Can Health Libr Assoc. 2017;38(2):44–50. [Google Scholar]
  • 29.Tukhareli N. In: Bibliotherapy. McNicol S, Brewster L, editors. Facet Publishing; London, UK: 2018. Read to connect: reading to combat loneliness and promote resilience; pp. 77–92. [Google Scholar]
  • 30.Fernando S, Agnew-Kata J. In: Adult Education as a Resource for Resistance and Transformation: Voices, Learning Experiences, Identities of Student and Adult Educators. Merrill B, Vieira CC, Galimberti A, Nizinska A, editors. University of Coimbra; Coimbra, Portugal: 2020. Building hope through bibliotherapy: community reading groups as a shared informal educational resource for adult learners; pp. 79–87. [Google Scholar]
  • 31.Monroy-Fraustro D, Maldonado-Castellanos I, Aboites-Molina M, et al. Bibliotherapy as a non-pharmaceutical intervention to enhance mental health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods systematic review and bioethical meta-analysis. Front Public Health. 2021;9 doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.629872. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 32.Cook MC, Stewart R. Resilience and sub-optimal social determinants of health: fostering organizational resilience in the medical profession. Prim Care. 2023;50(4):689–698. doi: 10.1016/j.pop.2023.04.013. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 33.Mahmoud N, Rothenberger D. From burnout to well-being: a focus on resilience. Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2019;32(6):415–423. doi: 10.1055/s-0039-1692710. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 34.Baca KJ, Derby DC, Salsbury SA. Resilient responses to stressful events among chiropractic students: a cross-sectional survey. J Chiropr Educ. 2024;38(1):82–95. doi: 10.7899/JCE-23-9. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 35.Coulehan J. Compassionate solidarity: suffering, poetry, and medicine. Perspect Biol Med. 2009;52(4):585–603. doi: 10.1353/pbm.0.0130. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Chiropractic Humanities are provided here courtesy of National University of Health Sciences

RESOURCES