Reading and Recovery Expectations: Implementing a Recovery-Oriented Bibliotherapy Program in an Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Setting

Objective: This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of developing a recovery-oriented book club in an acute inpatient psychiatric setting, and the impact of participation on measures of hope and recovery orientation. Method: Participants were recruited from an inpatient psychiatric hospital and assigned to control (N = 13) or experimental (N = 13) conditions. Participants completed the Herth Hope Index (HHI) and the Mental Health Confidence Scale (MHCS) at baseline and follow-up. Book club participants completed a satisfaction survey. ANOVA was performed to examine changes on HHI and MHCS. Results: No significant differences were found between conditions on HHI or MHCS. On the satisfaction survey, most book club participants agreed "somewhat" or "strongly" that the intervention increased self-understanding (92.3%) and hope (61.6%). Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Book club groups may help individuals in inpatient psychiatric settings feel more hopeful. Future research may examine the adaptability of this intervention for outpatient settings.