Self-therapy through bibliotherapy: A comprehensive review and content analysis for adults

Abstract

This study aims to reveal the studies that use bibliotherapy as a self-therapy method in combating various mental disorders focusing on the subject, method, participants, type of bibliotherapy, the bibliotherapy tool used, and the effects and permanence of bibliotherapy. The research data were compiled from publications indexed in Web of Science without any limitations; and showed that 91 studies addressed bibliotherapy as a self-therapy method for adults. Excluding meta-analyses, systematic reviews, literature reviews, book reviews, theoretical studies, and inaccessible or repeated publications, the remaining 41 publications constituted the scope of this research. The research was conducted using a review and quantitative content analysis. Findings showed that studies addressing bibliotherapy as a self-therapy method were mostly published in 2012, and the participant types at individual and group levels were balanced. The research findings also showed that the experimental method was predominantly used in studies utilizing bibliotherapy as a self-therapy method. Various written or printed works were preferred in these studies, with ‘Feeling Good’ being the most frequently used bibliotherapy tool. These findings may provide insights into understanding the bibliotherapy tools and methods commonly used in research on bibliotherapy as a self-therapy approach for mental disorders.