Wellbeing collection: UKHSA Knowledge and Library Services
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-16)

The Wellbeing collection is a selection of books, eBooks and audiobooks intended for all UKHSA staff.

The books are chosen with the aim of supporting your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.

A full list of all the books (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=119&sortfield=author) is on the library catalogue. You can also search for a particular book title or topic, using the search box at the top of the catalogue website.

Wellbeing collection

We have books covering a variety of topics. The range contains books on understanding dementia, help with caring for loved ones, coping with cancer, or many other diseases and long-term conditions. Books include memoirs, self-help, authoritative advice, or uplifting stories.

Most of the collection is from the Reading Agency’s Reading Well (https://readingagency.org.uk/get-reading/our-programmes-and-campaigns/reading-well/) lists. Our range includes:
- ‘Books on Prescription’, including ‘Reading Well for mental health’, and ‘Reading Well for dementia’
- ‘Mood Boosting Books’ - we have used the 2016 and the 2018 lists of books chosen and voted for by reading groups across the country - a full list of the Mood Boosting Books (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=133&sortfield=title) within the collection is on the library catalogue
- MacMillan Cancer Support core books list - we have a selection of cancer support books (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=132&sortfield=title) which can be viewed on the library catalogue - further cancer information and support (https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support) can be found on the MacMillan website
Titles on all these lists are books which have been selected by health professionals, people living with the conditions, and their relatives and carers.

Through recommendations, the collection has grown to include books on topics such as resilience, stress or health conditions which are not covered in the lists. We like to know what has helped you, so let us know if you have any recommendations to add to the collection using our contact form (https://forms.ukhsa.gov.uk/kls-enquiries).

Browse by topic

Books in the Wellbeing collection (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=119) can be viewed by topic using curated book lists. Topic-specific book lists allow you to easily browse the Wellbeing collection based on your needs:
- Books for carers (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=140)
- Books for stress, resilience and emotional intelligence (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=138)
- Grief and bereavement (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=193)
- Loneliness, anxiety and stress (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=144)
- MacMillan cancer books (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=132)
- Menopause (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=188)
- Mental health books (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=137)
- Mental Health First Aid self-help books (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=185&sortfield=title)
- Sleep (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=151)
- Physical activity and the outdoors (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=176&sortfield=title)
- Work life balance (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=189)
- Fiction and poetry (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=133)
- Narrative nonfiction (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=155)
- Books Beyond Words (https://ukhsa.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=149) - Books Beyond Words are books that support people who find pictures easier to understand than words. More about Beyond Words can be found on the Beyond Words website (https://booksbeyondwords.co.uk/).
Borrowing and reading the books

Any member of UKHSA staff can visit a site library and borrow a book using the self-issue kiosks. Staff based on a site without a library, or working in other eligible organisations, can use our enquiry form (https://forms.ukhsa.gov.uk/kls-enquiries) and have books posted to where they are currently based.

A selection of eBooks and audiobooks are available in the collection, mostly through the BorrowBox (https://ukhsa.borrowbox.com/) app and website. Find out more about borrowing books (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/borrow-books-ukhsa-knowledge-and-library-services).

Bibliotherapy

Bibliotherapy is the practice of using reading to support health and wellbeing. It can involve reading for comfort, learning new information, or help managing a health condition.

There are two main types:

Creative bibliotherapy - using fiction, poetry, biographical writing and creative writing to improve health and wellbeing -this often includes reading groups and social discussions

Self-help bibliotherapy - reading non-fiction or advisory books on mental health or physical conditions - this may be through recommendations, or for self-education and understanding of these topics

The wellbeing collection at UKHSA is predominantly self-help bibliotherapy.

There a large body of evidence around bibliotherapy, especially self-help bibliotherapy (an example is its use for depression), from both medical and psychology research but also library and information research.

Confidentiality

We understand that borrowing books on personal issues might imply personal information about you that you do not want disclosed. All loans are kept private under the UKHSA privacy policy and we do not share any information about what you borrow. The collection is there to support you.

There are self-issue kiosks in the site libraries. The first time you use a kiosk you may need contact with a librarian to set up your log-in and password. After that, you can borrow and return books yourself.

Disclaimer

Resources and organisations referenced on this page are intended as a useful guide for information purposes only. Any wording, inclusion or omission should not be viewed as an endorsement or rejection by UKHSA. Knowledge and Library Services are not responsible for the information or services provided by external organisations.

References
- Brewster L, Sen B, Cox A ‘Legitimising bibliotherapy: evidence‐based discourses in healthcare’ (https://doi.org/10.1108/00220411211209186) Journal of Documentation, volume 68, issue 2, pages 185 to 205
- Brewster L ‘Reader development and mental wellbeing: The accidental bibliotherapist’ Australasian Public Libraries and Information Services, volume 22, issue 1, pages 13 to 16
- McNicol S, Brewster L (Eds) ‘Bibliotherapy’
Contact us

For further information or queries, contact us.

Get in touch (https://forms.ukhsa.gov.uk/kls-enquiries)

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