Bibliotherapy Among Psychologists: Familiarity, Aattitude and Use

Bibliotherapy is a low-cost and safe way to treat mental health problems. Given that the success of bibliotherapy depends on the positive attitude and familiarity of those involved in this therapy method, this study aims to investigate the familiarity, attitude, and use of bibliotherapy by psychologists working in counseling centers and the barriers and limitations in using bibliotherapy.

In this practical research, conducted using an analytic survey method in 2020, 101 psychologists working in counseling centers in Hamadan province, Iran, were selected by the census. The survey response rate was 100 %. All data for this study were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. Its reliability (using the indicator of Cronbach's alpha) and validity (using two indicators of CVI and CVR) were confirmed. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 25 using frequency distribution, Mann-Whitney, Chi-square, and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

The results showed that more than half of the participants (53.5%) were moderately familiar with the bibliotherapy, and their level of familiarity was less than average; more than half of the participants (55.4%) used moderate bibliotherapy to treat their patient's problems, and their use rate was low to medium levels. However, psychologists' attitudes toward bibliotherapy are positive and higher than average.

Despite bibliotherapy's effectiveness and psychologists' favorable view of it, awareness and utilization remain low, highlighting the need for strategies to enhance the adoption of this therapeutic approach.