If you live in the United Kingdom and are between 13 and 18 you may very well find yourself coming home with a very different kind of prescription the next time you book and appointment with your GP.
Doctors will offer books on prescription to teenagers with mental health issues that cover a range of subjects from depression to exam pressure with subjects such as Eating Disorders, Self Harm, Bullying, Peer Pressure and Anxiety also being included in the list of prescribable literature.
The books which have been delivered to the participating surgeries by The Reading Agency and the Society of Chief Librarians and is called the Reading Well for Young People campaign.
Chosen by young people alongside mental health experts these books, a mixture of fiction,memoirs and self help titles will be offered by GPs, nurses, and counsellors with public libraries also offering the entire list of recommended titles.
This scheme comes after the resounding successes of similar ones that were aimed at adults with mental health conditions which was set up in 2013 and one set up in 2015 for those suffering from Dementia and the people who care for them.
They have proved to be so successful that The Reading Agency said the scheme had reached nearly half a million people in its first two years, with the figures for borrowing of titles on the adult list increasing by 97% and the titles on the dementia list dwarfing even those figures with an over 346% increase.
Today one in 10 young people have a diagnosable mental health issue, and the number 15- to 16-year-olds reporting they frequently feel anxious or depressed has doubled in the last 30 years The Reading Agency said. It also stated that around 10-13% of 15- and 16-year-olds have self-harmed with only a small fraction of them ever seeking medical help, and that almost 300,000 young people in Britain have an anxiety disorders. Even ignoring the dreadful cost to our children that this cruel illness brings, medically it costs the UK over £105bn each year to treat.
The Reading Agency states that “There is enormous need for quality assured mental health information and advice for young people,” adding “Contemporary pressures, such as widespread family breakdown, school exam stress, 24-hour social networking and an increase in bullying, have serious implications for the mental health of young people.”
These books are not designed to replace proper treatment and counselling but are there for those who are perhaps not at the point of needing more direct intervention, or those who are on a waiting list to be seen.
The complete list of currently available titles is replicated below.
GENERAL
Stuff that Sucks: Accepting what You Can’t Change and Committing to What You Can – Ben Sedley (Nonfiction)
Mind Your Head – Juno Dawson (Nonfiction)
The Self-Esteem Team’s Guide to Sex, Drugs and WTFs!! – The Self-Esteem Team (Nonfiction)
Blame My Brain: The Amazing Teenage Brain Revealed – Nicola Morgan (Nonfiction)
Quiet the Mind – Matthew Johnstone (Fiction)
I’ll Give You the Sun – Jandy Nelson (Fiction)
Kite Spirit – Sita Brahmachari (Fiction)
House of Windows – Alexia Casale (Fiction)
Every Day – David Levithan (Fiction)
ADD/ADHD
Putting on the Brakes: Understanding and Taking Control of Your ADD or ADHD – Patricia Quinn and Judith Stern (Nonfiction)
ANXIETY
My Anxious Mind: A Teen’s Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic – Michael Tompkins and Katherine Martinez (Nonfiction)
The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens: CBT Skills to Overcome Fear, Worry and Panic – Jennifer Shannon (Nonfiction)
The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens – Jennifer Shannon (Nonfiction)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky (Fiction)
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
The Reason I Jump – Naoki Higashida, translated by David Mitchell (Nonfiction)
Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome: A User’s Guide to Adolescence – Luke Jackson (Nonfiction)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon (Fiction)
BULLYING
Teen Life Confidential: Bullies, Cyberbullies and Frenemies – Michele Elliott (Nonfiction)
Vicious: True Stories by Teens About Bullying – Ed. Hope Vanderberg (Nonfiction)
CONFIDENCE AND SELF ESTEEM
Banish Your Self-Esteem Thief: A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook on Building Positive Self-esteem for Young People – Kate Collins-Donnelly (Nonfiction)
Teen Life Confidential: Self-Esteem and Being You – Anita Naik (Nonfiction)
Face – Benjamin Zephaniah (Fiction)
DEPRESSION
Am I Depressed and What Can I Do About it? – Shirley Reynolds and Monika Parkinson (Nonfiction)
I Had a Black Dog – Matthew Johnstone (Nonfiction)
Can I Tell You About Depression? – Christopher Dowrick and Susan Martin (Nonfiction)
MOOD SWINGS AND ANGER
Tyranny – Lesley Fairfield (Fiction)
OCD
Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens – Sheri van Dijk (Nonfiction)
Touch and Go – Joe Joe Wells (Nonfiction)
Breaking Free from OCD: A CBT Guide for Young People and their Families – Jo Derisley, Isobel Heyman, Sarah Robinson, Cynthia Turner (Nonfiction)
The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B – Teresa Toten (Fiction)
BODY IMAGE AND EATING
Can I Tell You About Eating Disorders? – Bryan Lask and Lucy Watson (Nonfiction)
Banish Your Body Image Thief – Kate Collins Donnelly (Nonfiction)
SELF HARM
The Truth About Self-harm – Celia Richardson (Nonfiction)
STRESS
Fighting Invisible Tigers: A Stress Management Guide for Teens – Earl Hipp (Nonfiction)
Teenage Guide to Stress – Nicola Morgan (Nonfiction)
Whilst these books are a valuable and very useful resource when treating young people who are struggling with mental health problems it is also extremely important to remember that they are not designed to replace proper diagnosis and treatment and if ever you find yourself, or someone you love struggling with their mental health that you should seek proper medical intervention.
Useful Information
UK. If you are struggling with depression or any mental health issue the Samaritans are available 24 hours a day at 116 123, or you can always visit Mind.
US, if you need support, if you are depressed, if you need to talk The Samaritans are available 24 hours a day on 1 (800) 273-TALK or look for your nearest branch.
For all other countries information and contact numbers can be found here
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