How Does Reading Fiction Support Adolescents’ Wellbeing? A Qualitative Study Examining Positive Affect, Connection and Personal Growth

This study provides novel and nuanced insights into the relationship between adolescents’ fiction reading and their wellbeing. In total, 19 adolescents (aged 15–17-years-old) living in the UK participated in semi-structured interviews exploring three aspects of wellbeing: positive affect, connection and personal growth. In relation to positive affect, adolescents reported a range of rich and diverse emotions in relation to reading, with current emotional state and/or reading environment often influencing this. Regarding connection, adolescents shared feelings of connection to fictional characters, friends, family and online reading communities through reading, with each of these connections enriching them in different ways. Finally, in relation to personal growth, adolescents expressed that books nurtured their own personal development, supported their empathy and understanding of others, and improved their general knowledge and literacy skills. This research significantly deepens and expands our understanding of the enriching effects that fiction reading can have for adolescents and highlights the need for research-informed practices to increase their engagement with books.