A NEW collection of books designed to support the mental health of young people has been launched in North Yorkshire.

The books address the impact of the pandemic on young people, and have been launched by North Yorkshire County Council’s (NYCC) library service.

Launched yesterday (October 10) on World Mental Health Day, the ‘Reading Well’ collection focuses on topics such as body image, bereavement, social anxiety, boosting confidence, surviving online, sexuality, gender identity and mental health.

It caters for a wide range of reading levels and formats to support less confident readers and encourage engagement.

A spokesperson for NYCC said: “In 2020, almost half of young people said they did not feel in control of their lives and almost a third claimed that they felt overwhelmed by feelings of panic and anxiety on a daily basis.”

Executive member for libraries at North Yorkshire County Council, Cllr Greg White, said: “Every library across North Yorkshire will be displaying titles from the new collection and any title which is unavailable can be requested and borrowed free of charge.”

The Reading Well collection is curated by The Reading Agency in partnership with experts from accredited organisations and professionals including NHS England, leading mental health charities and library staff.

More information about the Reading Well collection can be found on the Reading Agency’s website: https://readingagency.org.uk/adults/quick-guides/reading-well/