The Effect of a Bibliotherapy Program on Positive Mental Health Among Psychiatric Inpatients

June 11, 2026 updated by: aslı zeynep sipahi, Uskudar University
This is a randomized controlled trial conducted to evaluate the positive mental health effects of a bibliotherapy program applied to inpatients in a psychiatric clinic. The research method was designed as a single-blind, randomized controlled trial using a pre-test-post-test design to measure the effectiveness of the bibliotherapy program.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Patients hospitalized in psychiatric clinics may experience high levels of psychological distress due to both social isolation and the challenges of the hospital environment. This can negatively impact patients' adherence to treatment and recovery processes. Therefore, in addition to symptom reduction, effective and applicable interventions that support patients' positive mental health (e.g., self-esteem, social connection, and psychological resilience) are needed. Recent research has shown that bibliotherapy provides significant benefits for inpatients. Bibliotherapy is a method that aims to improve the psychological health of individuals through structured reading materials. Studies have shown significant reductions in psychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and stress in patients undergoing bibliotherapy. In particular, specific studies conducted on inpatients have observed that bibliotherapy not only alleviates symptoms but also increases positive mental health components such as self-efficacy and psychological resilience. Bibliotherapy programs help patients better understand themselves, express their emotions in a safe environment, and improve their empathy skills. Bibliotherapy, applied in a group format, supports positive psychological functioning by strengthening social interaction and a sense of belonging among patients. This approach holds a significant place among non-pharmacological treatment options due to its affordability and ease of application. Evidence in the literature shows that bibliotherapy has short-term effects as well as sustainable long-term gains. For example, a study by Smith et al. found that improvement achieved with bibliotherapy lasted up to three years. Furthermore, meta-analyses and systematic reviews by Pannu et al. and Boer et al. confirm that bibliotherapy is an effective complementary method in the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety.

In light of these literature findings, the aim of this study is to examine the effect of a bibliotherapy program applied to inpatients in psychiatric clinics on their positive mental health levels. The results are expected to contribute to the widespread adoption of bibliotherapy in hospital settings and the development of new evidence-based intervention programs.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

30

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Volunteering to participate in the research
  2. Being over 18 years of age
  3. Being literate

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Active psychosis / being in a psychotic episode
  2. Inability to attend all bibliotherapy sessions

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Psychiatric inpatients undergoing bibliotherapy program
Patients in the experimental group will receive a bibliotherapy program in a group setting in a clinical environment. The program will be conducted twice a week for 3 weeks, taking into account the average hospital stay of the patients.
Behavioral: Bibliotherapy Program
Bibliotherapy programs help patients better understand themselves, express their emotions in a safe environment, and develop their empathy skills. Bibliotherapy, implemented in a group format, strengthens social interaction and a sense of belonging among patients, thereby supporting positive psychological functioning.
Other Names:
  • bibliotherapy
No Intervention: Psychiatric inpatients who do not receive a bibliotherapy program
Patients in this group will receive routine care services.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Positive Mental Health Scale pre-test scores
Time Frame: one week before the intervention
The Positive Mental Health Scale and sociodemographic data form, which will be used within the scope of the study, will be administered to all patients before the program.
one week before the intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Positive Psychology Scale post-test scores
Time Frame: A week after the intervention
The Positive Mental Health Scale, which will be used within the scope of the study, will be administered to all patients after the intervention.
A week after the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Uskudar University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 18, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

June 7, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 11, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 11, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 11, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 61351342/020-96

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Patient rights and data privacy are respected.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on BİBLİOTHERAPY

Clinical Trials on Bibliotherapy Program

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Austria

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe