Reading for enjoyment is linked to better mental health, greater empathy and a lower risk of dementia, according to a review published in Psychological Medicine by researchers at the University of Cambridge. The authors argue that the format matters far less than the habit itself - a Jane Austen novel and a Heartstopper graphic novel both count.
The review comes from Professor Barbara Sahakian and Dr Christelle Langley of Cambridge's Department of Psychiatry, working with Vicki Perrin, chief executive of The Queen's Reading Room, the charity founded by Her Majesty The Queen. The collaboration is tied to the National Year of Reading and aims to draw attention to what reading appears to do for the brain across the lifespan.
Sahakian and Langley came to the topic while writing their 2025 book Brain Boost: Healthy Habits for a Happier Life. They found that the benefits of pleasure reading seemed unusually broad, yet the scientific literature examining them was surprisingly thin - part of the reason for pulling the existing evidence together in one place.
One point the authors emphasise is social: reading alongside other people, whether through a book club or a parent sharing a story with a child, appears to amplify the rewards. For families and communities looking at low-cost ways to support brain and mental health, that shifts reading from a solitary pastime into something closer to a shared activity worth building into a routine.