{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T05:36:31Z","timestamp":1792042591222,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Cambridge University Press (CUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789430400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":257,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["cambridge.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Psychol. Med."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Growing recognition of the importance of prevention in mental health has led to increased interest in modifiable lifestyle factors that support brain health, cognition, and well-being. This editorial examines evidence for an accessible and low-cost protective factor across the lifespan, namely reading for pleasure. Drawing on subjective surveys and objective studies using longitudinal, neuroimaging, and behavioral methods, we highlight converging findings that link reading engagement with improved brain and mental health, better cognitive performance, and reduced risk of cognitive decline. Survey data in adults suggested that reading was associated with reduced stress, greater empathy, enhanced well-being, and decreased loneliness. Longitudinal cohort studies further indicate that cognitively stimulating activities, particularly reading, are associated with a lower risk of dementia and slower cognitive decline, even among individuals with lower educational attainment. In childhood and adolescence, early reading for pleasure has been linked to better attention, memory, executive function, academic achievement, and fewer mental health problems. Neuroimaging findings suggest that reading is associated with structural and functional differences in brain regions supporting executive control, emotional regulation, and social cognition. Importantly, these benefits appear independent of socioeconomic background. Book club studies may suggest additional social benefits of reading in groups. Together, the evidence supports reading for pleasure and engaging in book clubs as scalable interventions, which may promote cognitive reserve, resilience, and lifelong mental well-being.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1017\/s0033291726105625","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T00:06:17Z","timestamp":1789430777000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/policypage","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Reading and associations with brain health, cognition, well-being, and mental health"],"prefix":"10.1017","volume":"56","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7352-1745","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Barbara J.","family":"Sahakian","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/013meh722","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Cambridge"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vicki","family":"Perrin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Queen\u2019s Reading Room"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5061-2820","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christelle","family":"Langley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/013meh722","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Cambridge"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"56","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"S0033291726105625_r5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1041610220000812"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r33","unstructured":"World Health Organisation. (2025a). Mental health of adolescents. https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/adolescent-mental-health"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r26","unstructured":"The Reader. (2023). New research on what books can do for our mental health during a cost of living crisis. https:\/\/www.thereader.org.uk\/our-new-research-data-highlights-britains-reading-habits-and-what-books-can-do-for-our-mental-health-during-a-cost-of-living-crisis\/"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r15","unstructured":"National Literacy Trust. (2025). Children and young people\u2019s reading in 2025. https:\/\/literacytrust.org.uk\/research-services\/research-reports\/children-and-young-peoples-reading-in-2025\/"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/josh.13428"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13195-022-01098-1"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa022252"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2016.00775"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2016.01020"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cobeha.2020.05.007"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/scan\/nsv114"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r34","unstructured":"World Health Organisation. (2025b). Over a billion people living with mental health conditions \u2013 services require urgent scale-up. https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/02-09-2025-over-a-billion-people-living-with-mental-health-conditions-services-require-urgent-scale-up"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/mbe.12282"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/hbm.22749"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroscience.2016.12.049"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r19","unstructured":"Quick Reads. (2015). Reading between the lines: The benefits of reading for pleasure. https:\/\/letterpressproject.co.uk\/media\/file\/The_Benefits_of_Reading_for_Pleasure.pdf"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8624.2010.01508.x"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291723001381"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r32","unstructured":"World Health Organisation. (2023). WHO launches commission to foster social connection. https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/15-11-2023-who-launches-commission-to-foster-social-connection"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nn.3983"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1212\/01.wnl.0000192165.99963.2a"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/9781009548427"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r11","volume-title":"The neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying creative thinking Goldsmiths","author":"Lloyd-Cox","year":"2024"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r25","unstructured":"The Queen\u2019s Reading Room. (2024). The Queen\u2019s Reading Room Study. https:\/\/thequeensreadingroom.co.uk\/the-queens-reading-room-study\/"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r14","unstructured":"National Literacy Trust. (2024). Children and young people\u2019s reading in 2024. https:\/\/literacytrust.org.uk\/research-services\/research-reports\/children-and-young-peoples-reading-in-2024\/"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2004.12.053"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-neuro-071013-014030"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10888438.2011.620673"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/desc.13004"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.287.6.742"},{"key":"S0033291726105625_r16","unstructured":"National Literacy Trust, Clark, C. , & Rumbold, K. (2006). 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Published by Cambridge University Press","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.","name":"license","label":"License","group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and Licensing"}},{"value":"This content has been made available to all.","name":"free","label":"Free to read"}],"article-number":"e262"}}