The Effect of Book Therapy on Mental Health of Prisoners (Case Study: Defamation of Women in Shahr-e-Rey, Iran)

Book therapy is an effective and practical process that can prevent or reduce a range of mental health problems. Prisoners are among the most in need of attention in terms of mental health. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of book therapy on the mental health of women prisoners. This was a quasi-experimental study. The research population included all prisoners in Shahr-e-Rey women prison, Iran. A sample of 30 prisoners was selected using available sampling method. Samples were randomly assigned into two equal groups of test and control. The intervention consisted of ten sessions of book therapy during one month for the test group. Health was measured before and after intervention in both groups. The research instrument was General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Data were analyzed using independent t test and covariance analysis. After the intervention, there was a significant difference between the two groups in the overall mental health score (P = 0.023). The scores of the test group in the subscales of physical symptoms and anxiety were significantly lower than the control group, too. Book therapy improves mental health indexes, and can be used to improve the mental health of prisoners and, as a result, improve their overall health status.