From childhood development to healthy aging, reading has been associated with a surprising range of cognitive and social benefits.
Picking up a book is a familiar way to unwind, and researchers at the University of Cambridge say reading for pleasure may offer benefits that extend across a lifetime. Studies have linked it to better mental health, stronger thinking skills, and a lower risk of dementia in older adults. The researchers argue that what people read, and how they read it, matters less than finding something they enjoy, whether that is a Jane Austen classic or a Heartstopper graphic novel.
In a review published in Psychological Medicine, Professor Barbara Sahakian and Dr. Christelle Langley from Cambridge’s Department of Psychiatry examine this evidence with Vicki Perrin, CEO of The Queen’s Reading Room, the charity founded by Her Majesty The Queen. Their collaboration supports efforts to encourage reading at every age during the National Year of Reading.
Sahakian and Langley became interested in the breadth of reading’s possible benefits while writing their 2025 book, Brain Boost: Healthy Habits for a Happier Life. They also found that research on reading for pleasure remained surprisingly limited. Most studies identify associations, meaning they cannot establish that reading itself caused the differences observed.
Fiction may offer quick stress relief
Among adults, surveys link reading with less stress, better relaxation, greater empathy, and more understanding of other people’s perspectives. In survey findings, 38% of adults, nearly two in five, chose books as their preferred way to unwind, making reading the most popular method of stress relief. Another survey found that 35% turned to books for comfort, compared with 31% who chose wine and 10% who preferred a hot bath.
A neuroscience study commissioned by The Queen’s Reading Room in 2024 suggested that even a brief period of reading could help. It found that five minutes of fiction could reduce stress by up to 20%, improve concentration and problem-solving skills, and help readers feel less lonely.
Reading linked to lower dementia risk
For older adults, research has also linked mentally stimulating leisure activities, particularly reading, with slower declines in thinking and memory and a reduced risk of dementia. One study followed almost 5,500 adults aged 55 and older for five years. Those who frequently took part in activities that included reading were significantly less likely to develop cognitive impairment, or difficulties with abilities such as memory and thinking. A separate study associated reading newspapers, magazines, and books with a 33% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Reading with other people may provide an additional benefit through social contact, which matters for both mental and physical well-being, particularly in later life.
Sahakian said: “Shared reading groups and book clubs appear to provide additional benefits through social interaction. They can help people feel less isolated and more connected to others, which has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia.
“While these clubs can be fun and beneficial at any age, they’re perfect for older people who may be not so mobile – they might not be able to go out as an exercise group or a cycling group, but a reading group is something most people can enjoy.”
Connecting readers was part of The Queen’s Reading Room’s purpose when it launched on social media in January 2021, sharing book recommendations during lockdown. It has since reached more than 12 million people in 184 countries. Alongside its festival and neuroscience study, the charity works in homeless shelters and domestic violence refuges, using shared reading as a therapeutic tool to support recovery.
Perrin said: “At The Queen’s Reading Room, we have seen first-hand the transformative power of individual and shared reading to change lives. Books truly do make life better, and we’re excited to do our bit to help everyone, everywhere, make more room for reading.”
Reading gains accompany brain changes
Brain imaging provides clues to the connections between reading and cognitive health. Studies associate reading with greater volume and cortical surface area in regions involved in language, learning, managing emotions, and executive control, the abilities that help people focus, plan, and manage tasks. Researchers have also found greater thickness in language-related areas of the cortex, the brain’s outer layer, and stronger connections through white matter, the nerve fibers that carry signals between brain regions and support language processing.
Intervention studies offer some evidence that reading can help bring about structural changes. In one small study, 11 children with dyslexia, a condition that affects reading, completed eight weeks of training at ages 7 to 11. The program combined mental imagery, articulation, and tracing letters, groups of letters, and words. Their reading skills improved significantly, accompanied by increases in gray matter volume in key brain regions. Gray matter contains nerve cell bodies and connections involved in processing information.
Children read less despite potential benefits
Broader evidence from childhood comes from a study by Sahakian, Langley, and colleagues involving more than 10,000 young people. Children who began reading for pleasure early in life had better attention, memory, and executive functioning, as well as greater academic achievement. They also had fewer mental health problems and healthier lifestyles, including more sleep and less screen time.
The academic associations extend beyond literacy. Reading is also linked to achievement in math, which draws on some of the same mental abilities, including language skills, memory, and executive function.
Sahakian said: “Reading is a great way to support our brain health, develop important cognitive skills, and boost our well-being. It’s something we ought to be encouraging from an early age, given the increasing evidence of its benefits, particularly to children, but really, it’s never too late to start, and it can bring benefits throughout our lives and into old age.”
Despite those potential benefits, surveys show that reading among children and adolescents has fallen to its lowest levels since records began. The decline is particularly pronounced among adolescent boys and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Even among young people who say they enjoy reading the least, nearly half recognize that it helps them learn new words or discover new things.
The researchers argue that sharing a book with a parent can add to the benefits of reading, just as a book club can for adults. Encouraging children to read also means paying attention to what already interests them.
Langley said: “Given how beneficial reading for pleasure is at a young age, we should be doing everything we can to introduce children and young people to reading. The important thing is to find something they’d really enjoy reading about – it might be a TV program or a game – and use this as a way in. Reading comics and graphic novels could also be a helpful introduction as they might be seen as less intimidating, maybe less boring, than novels.”
Reference: “Reading and associations with brain health, cognition, well-being, and mental health” by Barbara J. Sahakian, Vicki Perrin and Christelle Langley, 15 September 2026, Psychological Medicine.
DOI: 10.1017/S0033291726105625
All research at the Department of Psychiatry in the University of Cambridge is supported by the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR203312) and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East of England.
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