Reading well: The books prescribed by mental health experts

Every Wednesday, Alex Johnson delves into a unique collection of titles

Cinderella starts a business and Sleeping Beauty’s savings grow while she sleeps in the book (Getty)

The theory that reading can help treat illness goes back to the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. Today in the UK, one in 10 young people has a diagnosable mental health disorder and the Reading Agency has put together a range of book lists to support them as part of its Reading Well: Books on Prescription scheme.

Kite Spirit by Sita Brahmachari
House of Windows by Alexia Casale
Mind Your Head by Juno Dawson, Dr Olivia Hewitt, Gemma Correll
Quiet the Mind by Matthew Johnstone
Every Day by David Levithan
Blame My Brain: The Amazing Teenage Brain Revealed by Nicola Morgan
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Stuff That Sucks: Accepting What You Can’t Change and Committing to What You Can by Ben Sedley
The Self-Esteem Team’s Guide to Sex, Drugs and WTFs!? by The Self-Esteem Team (foreword by Zoella)

The titles above are for general use for those aged 13 to 18, but the full list of 35 titles covers other categories including ADHD, anxiety, autism and Asperger syndrome, body image/eating disorders, bullying, confidence/self-esteem, depression, OCD, self-harm, stress and mood swings.