Reading for pleasure linked to better mental health and greater empathy

Reading for pleasure – from tucking into a Jane Austen classic to devouring a Heartstopper graphic novel – is linked to better mental health, greater empathy and a lower risk of dementia, say researchers.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have joined with The Queen's Reading Room – the charity founded by Her Majesty The Queen – to highlight the benefits of reading for pleasure at any age as part of the National Year of Reading.

In 2025, Professor Barbara Sahakian and Dr Christelle Langley from the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge published Brain Boost: Healthy Habits for a Happier Life. It was while writing this book that they became aware of how widespread the benefits to reading for pleasure are – but also, how there was surprisingly little research in this area.

Today, in a review published in Psychological Medicine, Professor Sahakian and Dr Langley, together with Vicki Perrin, CEO of The Queen's Reading Room, argue that it doesn't matter what or how we read, reading for enjoyment can bring huge benefits – and reading with others, whether it's as part of a book club or a parent reading with their children, can bring even greater rewards.

Professor Sahakian said: "Reading is a great way to support our brain health, develop important cognitive skills and boost our wellbeing. It's something we ought to be encouraging from an early age, given the increasing evidence of its benefits, particularly to children, but really, it's never too late to start, and it can bring benefits throughout our lives and into old age."

Reading among children and adolescents is at its lowest levels since records began, surveys have shown, particularly among adolescent boys and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. But even those who say they enjoy reading the least still recognize its educational value, with nearly half saying it helps them learn new words or new things.

Some of the strongest evidence of the benefits of reading for pleasure come from a study by Professor Sahakian, Dr Langley and colleagues of more than 10,000 young people, which found that children who began reading for pleasure early in life showed benefits including : better attention, memory, and executive functioning, greater academic achievement, fewer mental health problems, and healthier lifestyles, including more sleep and less screen time.

Given how beneficial reading for pleasure is at a young age, we should be doing everything we can to introduce children and young people to reading. The important thing is to find something they'd really enjoy reading about – it might be a TV programme or a game – and use this as a way in. Reading comics and graphic novels could also be a helpful introduction as they might be seen as less intimidating, maybe less boring, than novels."

Dr. Christelle Langley, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge

Perhaps unsurprisingly, reading is strongly associated with improved literacy skills – but it is even linked to mathematical achievement, as reading and maths share similar cognitive processes such as language skills, memory, and executive function.

The benefits are not limited to children and young people. Surveys have suggested a multitude of benefits for adults, particularly related to wellbeing, including reduced stress and better relaxation, greater empathy and understanding of others, and a more tolerant attitude to different perspectives.

Reading has emerged as the most popular method for stress relief, with almost two in five adults (38%) choosing books as their ultimate way to unwind. A neuroscience study commissioned by The Queen's Reading Room in 2024 found that just five minutes of fiction can reduce stress by up to 20%, as well as boosting concentration and problem-solving skills and helping readers feel less lonely. One survey even found that more people turned to books for comfort (35%) than to wine (31%) or a hot bath (10%).

The benefits can be particularly important later in life. Leisure activities that stimulate the brain – particularly reading – are linked to slower cognitive decline and a reduced risk of dementia in older adults. For example, in a study of almost 5,500 adults aged 55 years and older, individuals who frequently engaged in activities including reading were significantly less likely to develop cognitive impairment over a five-year follow-up period. Another study found that reading newspapers, magazines, and books was associated with a 33% reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

So, why is reading for pleasure so beneficial? Brain imaging studies show a link between reading and differences in brain structure, including: larger volumes and cortical areas in brain regions involved in language, learning, emotional regulation, and executive control; stronger white matter connectivity supporting language processing; and increased cortical thickness in key language-related brain areas.

While most studies only show associations, evidence is emerging of a causal link. Structural brain changes have been shown to follow reading interventions. For example, a small study of 11 children with dyslexia aged 7–11 found that an eight-week training programme focused on mental imagery, articulation, and tracing of letters, letter groups, and words significantly improved reading skills – and these improvements were accompanied by increases in grey matter volume in key brain regions.

The Queen's Reading Room was first launched on social media in January 2021 as a way of sharing book recommendations and connecting readers during lockdown and has since grown into a global movement of more than 12 million people in 184 countries. The charity works to restore reading to the heart of daily life, through its flagship festival and neuroscientific study, and works in homeless shelters and domestic violence refuges where it uses shared reading as a therapeutic tool in recovery. This social connection can be important to our mental and physical wellbeing, particularly later in life.

Professor Sahakian said: "Shared reading groups and book clubs appear to provide additional benefits through social interaction. They can help people feel less isolated and more connected to others, which has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia.

"While these clubs can be fun and beneficial at any age, they're perfect for older people who may be not so mobile – they might not be able to go out as an exercise group or a cycling group, but a reading group is something most people can enjoy."

Vicki Perrin, CEO of The Queen's Reading Room, added: "At The Queen's Reading Room, we have seen first-hand the transformative power of individual and shared reading to change lives. Books truly do make life better, and we're excited to do our bit to help everyone, everywhere, make more room for reading."