According to recent study children who read for pleasure have better mental health

In a joint study of over 10,000 young adolescents by the University of Cambridge and Fudan University in China, researchers have found that children who begin reading for pleasure from a young age tend to perform better at cognitive tests, and have better mental health. The study was published on June 27th in Psychological Medicine, an online medical journal.

Researchers in China and the UK found that twelve hours a week was the optimal amount of reading time and this, simultaneously, serves as a link to improved brain structure and overall mental well-being. Reading for pleasure can be an important, as well as enjoyable, childhood activity, whilst being a taught skill that is acquired and developed through explicit learning over a period of time.

Our brains develop during childhood and adolescence, meaning that this is a crucial time for establishing behaviours that can effectively support our cognitive development and promote good brain health. Hitherto, it has remained relatively unclear what psychological impact, if there was any in the first place, encouraging children to read from an early age would have on their brain development, cognition and mental health.

To investigate this potential link further, researchers from the universities of Cambridge in the UK and Fudan University in China examined data from more than 10,000 adolescents in the US by using the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD), the largest long-term study of child health and brain development in the United States. The team analysed a variety of data including cognitive test results, brain scans and mental and behavioural assessments, comparing those who began reading at a young age, to those who began reading later, or not at all.

Of the total 10,243 participants studied, 48 per cent had little experience of reading for pleasure, or did not begin doing so until later on in their childhood. In contrast, the other half of the participants had spent between three and ten years reading for pleasure.

From these results, the researchers identified a strong link between adolescents reading for pleasure at an early age and a positive performance on the cognitive tests that measured factors such as verbal learning, memory and speech development.

The children that had begun reading for pleasure at an early age were shown to have better mental well-being, which was assessed by using various clinical scores, and reports from parents and teachers. From this, the researchers found that these children showed significantly fewer signs of stress and depression, improved attention spans and fewer behavioural problems, such as rule-breaking and aggression.

When the researchers examined the brain scans of adolescents, they discovered that the participants who had begun reading for pleasure at a young age showed moderately larger brain areas and volumes, including the brain regions that play a critical role in cognitive functions.

Professor Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge said: "Reading isn't just a pleasurable experience – it's widely accepted that it inspires thinking and creativity, increases empathy and reduces stress. But on top of this, we found significant evidence that it's linked to important developmental factors in children, improving their cognition, mental health, and brain structure, which are cornerstones for future learning and well-being."

Professor Jianfeng Feng from Fudan University also commented: "We encourage parents to do their best to awaken the joy of reading in their children at an early age. Done right, this will not only give them pleasure and enjoyment but will also help their development and encourage long-term reading habits, which may also prove beneficial into adult life."