A year ago, PSS Wellbeing Centres, alongside city-based charity The Reader, introduced Shared Reading groups, bringing literature to life in a safe space.
The sessions helped people who attend the PSS Wellbeing Centre service support one another while discussing literature that may cause mental distress.
Themes in a story or poem when read aloud in a group can occasionally trigger a strong emotional response.
The risk can be heightened for people struggling with anxiety or depression.
This awareness is what led *Maeve Murphy, a volunteer at PSS Wellbeing Centres in Liverpool, who runs one of two peer-led Shared Reading groups in partnership with The Reader - to come up with the idea of adopting an X-Card system – a moderating concept used in gaming.
In a role-playing game such as Dungeons and Dragons if a player feels upset or uncomfortable with a particular narrative, they can touch a card marked with an X, play stops and they move on without question or issue.
Maeve said: “I have a background of playing table top role-play games and felt it could work well in a Shared Reading group too as it is a good way to help people feel supported emotionally.
“We introduced the X-Card system because we know some material can occasionally trigger people, so if someone feels a storyline or theme in a particular story is upsetting, they can hold an X-Card up and we suspend the session for a short time.
“It is fine for them to leave the group and go outside or we ask if they would like to speak to a member of staff. Although it is something that very rarely happens, it is good to have in place.
“There are a lot of safeguarding processes in place both for the people who attend and the people who run the activities.”
Since 2023 national Shared Reading charity The Reader has been working with staff and volunteers at PSS Wellbeing Centres which provides recovery-focused mental health support to people living in Liverpool with anxiety and depression.
This includes a range of arts and creative courses to help people express themselves as well as peer-led groups enabling people with personal experience of mental distress to offer and receive support from each other.
Typically, in a Shared Reading group people connect and share experiences and feelings using stories and poems in a relaxed space. There is no pressure to talk or read aloud.
There are two PSS Wellbeing Centres offering Shared Reading. They are run by three volunteers who have each been on The Reader’s Read to Lead training course.
Sessions are 90 minutes, with up to five group members and are held every fortnight in Belle Vale and the city centre.
Shared Reading group leader Corinne Jones said: “We are very careful about the stories we pick and send the literature first to PSS staff to make sure it’s okay.
“We have a lovely lady who is Chinese. She says it has done her the world of good. Not only has it increased her confidence in understanding English but in telling us stories about her life in China. It is very nice to see people progress, coming out of their shell and feeling included – you feel useful.”
City centre group member Mike Young said: “I was struggling to concentrate on any reading material whatsoever – and I caught the bug! I liked the friendliness of the members and the people delivering the group.
“Now I can read a book all the way through. It’s taught me not to skip bits as sometimes you can miss the most poignant parts.
“I hated literature at school it was my worst subject – but looking back it may have just been that I didn’t get on with my teacher’s delivery style.”
Staff member Annie Kilroy, Senior Wellbeing Practitioner, PSS Wellbeing Centres, Liverpool, said: “We started Shared Reading in our Keeping Well groups. The great thing is that people we support can join at any point and if they miss a week, it doesn’t affect their enjoyment.
“There’s a certain magic about Shared Reading the group comes together, and the magic happens, I’ve experienced it myself. Shared Reading is such a useful means to talk and share, especially as we have quite a lot of people coming to our groups who are isolated.”
Abi Blackburn, Liverpool City Regional Partnerships Lead at The Reader, said: “The peer-led Shared Reading groups at PSS Wellbeing Liverpool demonstrate an innovative approach to harnessing the therapeutic power of literature to support mental wellbeing.
“Engaging in Shared Reading offers more than just a communal activity—it can provide a deep immersive experience that can help foster self-reflection and shared connections with others in the group.
“Research and participant feedback gathered over the last 20 years since The Reader was founded in Liverpool consistently highlight its profound impact on mental wellbeing. By creating a supportive space, Shared Reading can help individuals navigate mental health challenges and ease feelings of isolation.
“In our latest Feedback Week evaluation in spring 2024, which included responses from participants of 76 (58%) Shared Reading groups across the North West, 95% said Shared Reading lifted their mood, 97% looked forward to Shared Reading as an important part of their week and 90% said it gave them space to put their day-to-day concerns aside.”
*Names changed for confidentiality.
For more information about The Reader click here.
For more information about the Shared Reading Sessions email us! wellbeingcentres@pss.org.uk