Bibliotherapy: Applications, Approaches, Roles

Bibliotherapy is one of the inexpensive، available and helpful methods in treatment of diseases and psychology counseling that today is considerate. Bibliotherapy is use of book for treatment and as a supplement method in treatment is used. Depend on opinion of treatment team it can perform individually or in group and attendance or non- attendance. This kind of treatment in addition of its advantages has some limitations. This study is a narrative overview and its aim is review of the history and concepts of bibliotherapy، its application، its advantages and limitations، its stages as well as the role of the librarian in that. For gathering appropriate articles، the key words «bibliotherapy»، «information therapy»، «the librarian''s role in treatment،» «the library''s role in treatment» are searched in databases SID، Magiran، ISI، Web of Science، Science Direct، Ebsco، Springer، IranMedex، Irandoc، Noormags، Elsevier، MDConsult، Emerald، and Proquest from Aban 1390 till Mordad 1392. After studing the retrieved documents، 40 documents were selected and reviewed. Literature review showed that because of the increase in prevalence rates of various diseases and on the other hand، the shortage of highly qualified professionals and expensive of most quality service، the using bibliotherapy as a simple، cheap and made available is beneficial. But its limitations must also be considerated. A librarian has a facilitator role in bibliotherapy process. When the bibliotherapy will have the greatest effect that a medical or clinical librarian along with treatment team and the physician or psychiatrist to be participated in the process of bibliotherapy.