Self-help books have reached their 150th anniversary and while some say they are no use, certain doctors recommend them, writes CHARLIE TAYLOR
AS THE 150th anniversary of the publication of the first self-help book is marked, some research suggests that following the information contained in such titles may be bad for you.
Self Help, a 450-page book by Samuel Smiles, was published in 1859, the same year that Charles Darwin's Origin of the Specieswas unleashed upon an unsuspecting public.
What Smiles, a dour Scottish man who was of the opinion that "nothing creditable could be accomplished without application and diligence", would have made of titles such as Women who Love too Much, Cleaning out the Closet of Your Mindand Finding the Deep River Within, can only be imagined, but it's unlikely that he could have foreseen the impact the genre would have on readers.
Amazon.com currently offers more than 200,000 self-help books and publishers continue to flood the market with them in the knowledge that readers are hungry for more. This is despite the fact that a new study carried out by researchers in Canada suggests that they may not be good for us.
The research, which was published in the journal Psychological Scienceearlier this month, found that individuals with low self-esteem felt worse about themselves after repeating positive self-statements or 'mantras' contained in many leading titles.
Nonetheless, while there are many health professionals who remain wary of the information included in the majority of self-help books, there are others who see them as being useful in helping people cope with mental health problems such as depression and phobias.
Dr Maeve Byrne-Crangle, a consultant psychologist and the author of Conquer your Fear of Flying, is a firm believer in the positive role that books can play in assisting those trying to cope with issues.
“Self-help books can be an excellent method of help especially for people who don’t have access to professional assistance,” she says.
Elsewhere, Dr Áine Tubridy, a psychotherapist and author of When Panic Attacks,admits that there are some books available which contain inaccurate and at times even, harmful advice, but says that many titles can be empowering.
“The fact that the genre is known as self-help is in itself powerful because it gives a strong message to readers that they can help themselves; that they can take responsibility,” says Dr Tubridy.
“The other thing is that some people aren’t up to talking with a stranger and are possibly frightened of medication and so these books are an avenue for them in seeking out information. They can act as a first step for those looking for help and also complement existing methods of support,” she says.
Dr Tubridy is one of the authors whose books are included as reading material under the new ‘Power of Words’ initiative. Launched in February, the scheme, which is the result of a collaboration between the HSE, the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), and the Library Council, enables patients with psychological issues to be prescribed or have a book recommended which deals with their particular problems. The titles, which are mainly CBT-based books, are available for loan at public libraries around the country and also at Mountjoy Prison.
Elaine Martin, a senior psychologist with the HSE who is closely involved with the initiative, admits that when it comes to self-help books, there are “the good, the bad and the ugly”.
But she adds that a number of studies have concluded that bilbiotherapy, as the prescription of books for patients is known, can be effective in helping to treat some mental health problems.
“If a book is written by a professional who is celebrated in their field as a clinician with expertise in that area and is a written version of their treatment programme, then I think that you can be sure the book is of a high quality,” says Martin.
“The value of these types of books can sometimes be underplayed because people wonder if it’s just a cheap alternative to providing professional help. But they may help people by allowing them to try out different strategies in an accessible manner,” she adds.
Before the launch of the new programme, the Dublin North Inner City Book Prescription Scheme was already in action. A joint initiative by the HSE and Dublin City Public Libraries (DCPL), it has led to over 5,000 self-help books being lent out from libraries in the capital since it began in 2007.
Miriam Leonard, divisional librarian at DCPL, said the scheme has proved to be very successful with readers across Dublin. “The books were chosen on the recommendations of psychologists, counsellors and psychotherapists working in Ireland and therefore the booklist is a list of quality self-help titles. GPs “prescribe” the books for appropriate patients which ensures that the “right book is given to the right person at the right time” and is complementary to their treatment.
The success of the scheme led to the introduction of the Power of Words programme across the country.
Pearse Finegan, director of Mental Health Project at the ICGP, says that in addition to helping patients, the new initiative also benefits doctors.
“GPs are very constrained by time so when they are having a consultation with patients, recommending a well-written informative book is like a continuation of the consultation,” he says. Whether self-help books actually help people cope with mental health problems is always going to be something that is up for debate. But Dr Tubridy and others believe that so long as such titles don’t contain inaccurate information then they are harmless. Many readers would agree. Louise (30) from Dublin says that books recommended to her by a counsellor were helpful during a period when she felt emotionally challenged.
“The books I found gave comfort were those that recognised how bad emotional pain can be, that it was okay to feel that pain and that gave you the encouragement to believe you could get through it. These books made me feel that over time I would heal and was invaluable,” she says.
Most borrowed self-help titles*
When Panic Attacksby Áine Tubridy
The Feeling Good Handbookby David Burns
Overcoming Anxietyby Helen Kennerley
The Incredible Yearsby Carolyn Webster-Stratton
Depression – the Common Sense Approachby Tony Bates
* Source: Dublin City Public Libraries