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My articles entitled “BIBLIOTHERAPY: THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF BOOKS IN MODERN WORLD” article published in this pages.93 to 96
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My articles Published in this International "Documentation Magazine", nº 12July-August, 2009
SUMMARY
3 Editorial Mª. AUXILIADORA MARTÍN GALLARDO 4 Cartas de los lectores 6 Entrevista ALICIA BARNARD AMOZORRUTIA (MÉXICO) 12 Noticias 22 Reflexiones de un Presidente HACIA UN RENACIMIENTO HUMANISTA DE LA INFORMACIÓN 26 Conferencia LA SOCIEDAD DE LA INFORMACIÓN: RETOS E INCERTIDUMBRES ANTE LOS CAMBIOS TECNOLÓGICOS. LEOPOLDO SEIJAS (ESPAÑA) 44 Conferencia AVANCES EN LEGISLACIÓN Y POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS EN EL ÁMBITO CIENTÍFICO-TECNOLÓGICO EN COLOMBIA. ALONSO RAFAEL ACOSTA (COLOMBIA) 51 Conferencia SETENTA Y UN AÑOS DE VIDA INSTITUCIONAL DEL ARCHIVO NACIONAL DEL ECUADOR. GRECIA VASCO DE ESCUDERO (ECUADOR) 58 Corresponsal Bolivia A PROPÓSITO DE LA INAUGURACIÓN DE UN NUEVO EDIFICIO PARA LA BIBLIOTECA TECNOLÓGICA DE LA UNIVERSIDAD CRUCEÑA. LUIS OPORTO ORDÓÑEZ (BOLIVIA) 61 Conferencia CREACIÓN DEL ARCHIVO HISTÓRICO DE LAS COMUNIDADES INDÍGENAS DE LA AMAZONIA COLOMBIANA. MARIBEL CÓRDOBA (COLOMBIA) 66 Conferencia OPEN ACCESS Y WEB SOCIAL: UNA MANCUERNA VITAL PARA LA INVESTIGACIÓN CIENTÍFICA. HÉCTOR EDUARDO GARCÍA; MARY CARMEN RIVERA (MÉXICO) 72 Conferencia EL PROFESIONAL DE LA INFORMACIÓN: GERENTE DEL SERVICIO FRENTE A LA SOCIEDAD DEL CONOCIMIENTO. MARISOL CHIQUINQUIRÁ; CASILDA SULANHER (VENEZUELA) 82 Firma seleccionada DOCUMENTÁNDONOS SOBRE LA MINIATURA JAPONESA. JOSÉ ENEBRAL FERNÁNDEZ (ESPAÑA) 84 Artículo LA SALA INFANTIL DE LA BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA COMO MEDIO PARA LA PROMOCIÓN DE LA LECTURA Y LA CULTURA. DIEGO SANTANA (MÉXICO) 88 Artículo LA COMUNICACIÓN EDUCATIVA JUVENIL. GREGORIO ÍÑIGUEZ; JAIME ALFONSO SÁNCHEZ (MÉXICO) 93
Artículo BIBLIOTHERAPY: THERAPEUTIC VALUE OF BOOKS IN MODERN WORLD. DAMODHARAN (INDIA)99 Software documental KROBIBLO V 5.1 100 Colaboraciones 101 Internet 104 Lecturas profesionales 105 Jornada archivística ORGANIZAR PARA PRESERVAR LA MEMORIA INSTITUCIONAL. IRAIS ALEJANDRA BARRERA; ALAN ENRIQUE RAMÍREZ (MÉXICO) 112 Pasatiempos 115 Humor KILL RATES
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Bibliotherapy: Therapeutic Value of Books in Modern World
Abstract
Bibliotherapy or reading therapy is a therapy in which a person suffering from depression reads self-help books and other motivational books in between therapies to speed up the recovery. Several controlled clinical trials have shown that bibliotherapy can give results comparable to that of drug therapy or psychotherapy. Furthermore, patients in bibliotheraphy recovered faster from depression than those on conventional therapies; they tend to improve with time, as opposed to the remission observed with those on conventional therapy. They had better outlook on life. Bibliotheraphy is also useful as a complementary therapy to speed up the recovery along with conventional therapy.
Definition
Literally involves treatment through books
Pardeck & Pardeck, 1998
Guided reading of written materials to help the reader grow I self awareness
Harris & Hodges, 1995
Process of a dynamic interaction between the personality of the reader and literature under the guidance of a trained helper
Shrodes, 1950
The process goes through four basic stages (Pardeck, 1993):
i) Identification,
ii) Selection,
iii) Presentation,
iv) Follow-up.
During the first two stages, the clients' needs must be identified, and appropriate books selected to match their particular problems. The selection process takes skill and insight, as the books must provide correct information about a problem while not imparting a false sense of hope. The books must then be presented carefully and strategically so that the clients are able to see similarities between themselves and the book characters. Once the clients can identify with the main character, they enter the follow-up stage during which they share what they have gained. They express catharsis verbally in discussion or writing, or nonverbal means such as art (Sridhar & Vaughn, 2000), role-playing, creative problem solving, or self-selected options for students to pursue individually (Hebert & Kent, 2000). Once catharsis has occurred, the clients can be guided to gain insight into the problem. The success of the bibliotherapy program depends largely on how well teachers or counselors play their vital role as facilitator throughout the whole process. Sridhar & Vaughn (2000) provide useful ideas on how teachers can get ready for the process, and what they can do before, during and after reading.
Benefits and Limitations of Bibliotherapy
In addition to the “how” of conducting bibliotherapy, practitioners also need to be aware of potential benefits and pitfalls associated with this procedure. Bibliotherapy has obvious value in that it provides the opportunity for the participants to recognize and understand themselves, their characteristics, and the complexity of human thought and behavior. It may also promote social development as well as the love of literature in general, and reading in particular (Gladding & Gladding, 1991). It reduces feelings of isolation that may be felt by people with problems. The effectiveness of bibliotherapy, however, may be limited by the availability of materials on certain topics, as well as the lack of client readiness and willingness to read. Clients may also project their own motives onto characters and thus reinforce their own perceptions and solutions. In addition, participants may be defensive, thus discounting the actions of characters and failing to identify with them, or even end up using them as scapegoats. Some of these limitations can be overcome through the continuation of the process itself, role playing, and the use of group discussions (Gladding & Gladding, 1991). Facilitator limitations are also a challenge: facilitators may have limited knowledge of human development and developmental problems, and inadequate knowledge about appropriate literature. Facilitators thus need to be properly trained and exposed to a repertoire of literature suitable for use in bibliotherapy. One other limitation may lie in the bibliotherapy process itself: for example, clients may be unwilling to discuss areas that are uncomfortable, or facilitators may insist on making a point at the client's expense. The process is also limited if both the client and counselor stay on surface issues. These limitations can be addressed by suspending sessions until both parties are ready and willing to work, by taping and critiquing selected sessions so that facilitators can monitor their own reactions to certain clients or problem areas, and by revisiting issues in stories that have been treated superficially in previous sessions (Gladding & Gladding, 1991).
Evaluation of Bibliotheraphy
First indication of the popularity of Bibliotheraphy came in a survey conducted in 1994. 500 American mental health professionals were asked if they "prescribed" books for patients to read between sessions to speed recovery. Seventy percent of the therapists polled indicated that they did use “Bibliotheraphy" with their patients, and 86 percent reported that the books were helpful to their patients.The effectiveness of stand-alone bibliotheraphy was evaluated in five published studies by a team of investigators headed by Dr. Forrest Scogin from the University of Alabama. These researchers evaluated the effectiveness of Dr. David Burns' "Feeling Good" as well as Dr. Peter Lewinsohn's "Control Your Depression," as self-administered treatments for depression. The investigators concluded that Feeling Good was as effective as a full course of individual psychotherapy or as treatment with the best antidepressant drugs.
Bibliotheraphy can be administered in one of two ways.
1. The therapists can "prescribe" a self-help book for their patients to read between therapy sessions to increase the speed of learning and recovery. (complementary therapy)
2. Individuals suffering from depression or anxiety can be given a self-help book to read as a self-administered treatment without any other drug therapy or psychotherapy. (stand-alone therapy)
Development of Bibliotheraphy
To determine Bibliotheraphy Development whether it will have any lasting value in controlling depression and its effectiveness in treating people with major depression with additional clinical trials. The investigators selected 80 patients for this study and randomly assigned them two groups. The patients in the first group were given a copy of "Feeling Good" and were encouraged to read it within four weeks. This group was called the Immediate Bibliotheraphy Group. The patients in the second group were told that they would be placed on a four-week waiting list before beginning treatment. This group was called the Delayed Bibliotheraphy Group and served as a control group.
The depression levels of the two groups were similar at the beginning of the study as measured by standard depression tests. The average scores for both groups were around 20 or above indicating that they were similar to patients in most controlled-outcome studies of antidepressants or psychotherapy.At the end of the four weeks the two groups were compared. The patients in the Immediate Bibliotherapy Group improved considerably. The average scores were around 10 or below, showing that they are not considered depressed anymore. The changes in depression were statistically and clinically significant. These patients also maintained their gains at the three- month evaluation and did not relapse. In fact, there was a tendency for continued improvement following the completion of the "treatment." The scores on depression tests were lower at the three- month evaluation. In contrast, the patients in the Delayed Bibliotheraphy Group (control group) barely changed, remaining around 20 at the four-week evaluation. This showed that the improvement from Bibliotheraphy was not just due to the passage of time. The control group was then given a copy of "Feeling Good" and were asked to read the book during the second four weeks of the study. Their improvement in the next four weeks was similar to that in the Immediate Bibliotheraphy Group during the first four weeks. Interestingly, both groups did not relapse but maintained their gains at the three- month evaluation.
The results of this new study confirmed that Bibliotheraphy appeared to have substantial and lasting antidepressant effects. The investigators noted that at the end of the first four-week period, 70 percent of the patients in the Immediate Bibliotheraphy Group no longer met the criteria for a major depressive episode (based on DSM IV criteria). In contrast, only 3 percent of the patients in the Delayed Bibliotheraphy Group recovered during the first four weeks. At the three-month evaluation, when both groups had Bibliotheraphy, 75 percent of the patients in the Immediate and 73 percent of the patients in the Delayed Bibliotheraphy Groups no longer qualified for a diagnosis of major depressive episode according to DSM criteria
Why Bibliotherapy Applicable for Recreation Therapy
Most of us realize how therapeutic reading can be. We find ourselves entering the world described in the pages of a good book and becoming involved with the characters. We often close the cover having gained new insight and ideas. The purpose behind the use of bibliotherapy is to assist a client in overcoming the emotional turmoil related to a real-life problem by having him/her read a story on that topic. This story can then serve as a springboard for discussion and possible resolution of that dilemma. The therapist provides guidance in the resolution of personal crisis through the use of directed readings and follow-up activities.
The clients we serve are dealing with increasingly complex issues. The road to recovery and healing is not only based on what happens in a treatment group or session, but between sessions. Bibliotherapy is the clinical technique of recommending books to clients for guidance in solving their problems. Another, more precise definition is that bibliotherapy is a technique for structuring interaction between a facilitator and a participant based on mutual sharing of literature. Bibliotherapy generally appears to be more successful as an adjunctive therapy. Many mental health professionals use popular self-help books, such as "What Color Is Your Parachute" and "The Relaxation Response" for their clients, rather than fiction or poetry, yet the use of many types of literature can have tremendous therapeutic value. There are many ways to use literature to help a client reach his/her treatment goals. Good books can alleviate feelings of alienation when readers recognize characters with feelings, thoughts and circumstances similar to their own. This can be especially therapeutic for someone who is in the process of recovery or rehabilitation from a disabling condition. Books can help clients to objectify their own experience, come to a better understanding, and move on to more positive attitudes and relationships in life.
The Goals of Bibliotherapy can included the following:
(1) To develop an individual's self-concept
(2) To increase an individual's understanding of human behavior or motivations
(3) To foster an individual's honest self-appraisal
(4) To provide a way for a person to find interests outside of self
(5) To relieve emotional or mental pressure
(6) To show an individual that he or she is not the first or only person to encounter such a problem
(7) To show an individual that there is more than one solution to a problem
(8) To help a person discuss a problem more freely
(9) To help an individual plan a constructive course of action to solve a problem
A practitioner must decide whether an individual or a group therapy approach would be best in the particular situation. Individual therapy requires time-consuming one-on-one sessions, but some people feel freer to express themselves in a one-on-one situation. Bibliotherapy can be included in leisure education or therapeutic process type groups, directed at themes the entire group can relate to. Outpatient settings are also a good place to use bibliotherapy techniques. There are many excellent books that a client can read and then return to a session to discuss their reaction to the material. Regardless of whether the practitioner chooses the individual or group approach, the basic procedures in conducting bibliotherapy are: (1) motivate the individual or individuals with introductory activities; (2) provide time for reading the material; (3) allow time to reflect; (4) provide follow-up discussion time, using questions that will lead persons from literal recall of information through interpretation, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of that information; and (5) conduct evaluation and direct the individual or individuals toward closure--this involves both evaluation by the practitioner and self-evaluation by the individual. Various kinds of information can be conveyed through assigned and shared reading.
Therapeutic Value of books
Therapists should be aware of the length and complexity of the book. The book should be applicable to the problem facing the client. The client's reading ability should be known, as well as the client's emotional and chronological age must be considered. Reading stories aloud for small children can be an option to achieve similar desired results. Before undertaking bibliotherapy, a practitioner must remember that it is more than just the casual recommendation of a certain book to an individual--it is a deliberate course of action that requires careful planning.
Bibliotherapy must be handled with great delicacy, and not every practitioner possesses the personal qualifications to be a facilitator in the process. Setting out to "trigger emotional catharsis" can be a risky thing to do. It is important to be prepared to deal with the emotional issues that may result. Fictional works are good for discussion purposes because participants can talk about the characters in a book rather than about themselves. This is often less threatening for the client. Children's literature offers many good choices, one example is the classic story of the Velveteen Rabbit and the pain the rabbit experiences when becoming 'real'. Another good example, Deenie by Judy Blume has helped many children with scoliosis to cope with wearing a brace and other stressful changes to their lifestyle. This story is also helpful to address issues of body image or social rejection. Librarians are a valuable resource to identify appropriate books. Above all, the books chosen by the practitioner should have literary merit--a poorly written novel with stereotyped characters and simplistic answers to complex questions is probably worse than not reading anything at all and can leave clients with a negative view of literature. Reading quality literature, however, can be beneficial to clients, even outside the context of bibliotherapy. A recreational therapist who really loves literature and who has a large collection of books is in a good position to conduct bibliotherapy, if he or she possesses the other necessary personal qualifications.
These points are worth thinking about when selecting literary resources, how well does the book help with:
• Fostering personal insight
• Triggering emotional catharsis
• Assisting with solving problems
• Altering the ways in which clients act
• Promoting satisfying relationships with peers
• Providing information about shared problems
• Provide a good quality recreation experience
Bibliotherapy offers a unique way to allow clients to actively participate in treatment. And it is extremely individualized to each person and their situation, but it can be a useful addition to the treatment services provided by a recreational therapist.
Conclusion
Bibliotherapy is a potentially powerful method for school teachers and counselors to use on many levels and in every school grade. In order to establish a strong bibliotherapy program in an institution, practitioners must present the procedure as a non-threatening one, starting by calling the process biblioguidance, for instance. They must also solicit the input and advice of colleagues, parents, and administrators. In addition, they must always be alert to the limitations of bibliotherapy.
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