Reading for Pleasure Is Linked to Better Mental Health, Empathy and Brain Health, Cambridge Review Finds
A review by University of Cambridge researchers, published in Psychological Medicine in September 2026, brings together evidence that reading for enjoyment is associated with benefits at every age, from children's attention and memory to slower cognitive decline later in life.
CultureGNGV Editorial Team4 min readLast reviewed October 5, 2026
Picking up a book for fun may be one of the simplest things people can do for their minds. In a review published on 15 September 2026 in the journal Psychological Medicine, Professor Barbara Sahakian and Dr Langley of the University of Cambridge, working with The Queen's Reading Room, gathered research on what reading for pleasure is linked to across a lifetime. Their conclusion: reading for enjoyment is associated with better mental health, greater empathy and healthier brains, and reading with others may bring even greater rewards.
Some of the strongest evidence concerns young people. A study of more than 10,000 children found that those who began reading for pleasure early in life showed better attention, memory and executive functioning, higher academic achievement, fewer mental health problems and healthier habits, including more sleep and less screen time. Reading also seems to support mathematics, since both rely on shared skills such as language and memory.
For adults, reading is a popular way to unwind: according to the review, 38% of people choose books as their main way to relieve stress, and one 2024 study suggested that just five minutes of fiction can reduce stress by up to 20%. Reading stories is also linked to greater empathy and more tolerant attitudes towards people with different views.
Later in life, brain-stimulating leisure activities such as reading are associated with slower cognitive decline. In one study of more than 5,500 adults aged 55 and over, frequent readers were significantly less likely to develop cognitive impairment over five years. Another study linked a higher score on a measure of cognitive activity, which included reading, to a 33% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. Brain imaging studies also connect reading with larger volumes in regions involved in language and emotion regulation.
These findings are associations rather than proof of cause and effect, and the authors note that reading among children and teenagers is at historic lows, especially among boys and disadvantaged young people. Their advice is practical: let children start with what they genuinely enjoy, including comics and graphic novels, and read together. "Reading with others, whether it's as part of a book club or a parent reading with their children, can bring even greater rewards," says Sahakian.
Why it matters
Reading is cheap, widely available and enjoyable, so evidence linking it to mental and brain health supports efforts to help more children and adults rediscover books.
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What you can do
Set aside a few minutes a day for a book you enjoy, read aloud with a child, or join a book club at your local library.
