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Unveiling the therapeutic potential of fiction: an empirical literary investigation of bibliotherapy to extract writing recommendations for YA genre novels
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Date
2026-02
Abstract
Bibliotherapy has long been recognised as a promising tool for emotional healing, yet the potential to intentionally mirror the dynamics of a psychotherapy session through reading a novel remains underexplored. This study addresses the need for innovative mental health interventions by investigating whether young adult novels that address mental illnesses can effectively simulate a psychotherapy session. It deeply examines how novelists can write novels for the specific purpose of bibliotherapy by replicating a psychotherapy session in their novels, offered for young adult readers. Employing an interdisciplinary approach, close readings and thematic analyses were conducted on the following novels; Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, and The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork, using a multifaceted theoretical framework that integrated structuralism, formalism, the experience-taking phenomenon, reader response, and authorial intent to critically examine their narrative constructions. A subsequent comparative evaluation of their therapeutic elements, along with a Qualtrics-based survey and in-depth interviews with authors, psychologists, and interdisciplinary researchers, validated our findings and highlighted the delicate balance between narrative therapy and creative freedom. The major finding reveals that while novels can replicate key aspects of psychotherapy, an overly prescriptive tone may risk alienating readers, as many authors resist constraints that hinder creative expression. These results provide actionable recommendations for novelists aiming to integrate therapeutic techniques subtly, thereby enhancing bibliotherapy's role in mental health while preserving artistic integrity. Ultimately, this research not only expands the conceptual framework of bibliotherapy but also lays the groundwork for broader interdisciplinary collaborations between psychology and literature to address pressing mental health challenges.
Supervisor
Description
Peer-reviewed
Publisher
University of Limerick