Medical librarian Shirley Sardena has been delivering ‘Shared Reading’ sessions for patients at Ocean Views, St Bernard’s Hospital, Cancer Relief and Clubhouse Gibraltar as part of a Mental Health initiative.

Shared Reading utilises literature and poems with group members to explore life experiences in order to support mental health and wellbeing.  Shared Reading is offered by The Reader charity based in Liverpool since 2008, including within the NHS.  The Gibraltar Health Authority Medical Librarian Shirley Sardena visited the UK to train to become a Reader Leader this Spring and to establish Gibraltar as an International Member of The Reader.

Shirley has worked at Gibraltar Health Authority for over 25 years and has always had an interest in bibliotherapy, researching the feasibility of bibliotherapy within Gibraltar for her Masters in 2011.  Training as a Reader Leader is a natural development of this research and allows for a practical application of bibliotherapy utilising the evidenced based Shared Reading Model from The Reader.

Shirley Sardena said: “The first sessions were delivered during Mental Health Week to promote Shared Reading and its benefits in supporting mental health and wellbeing.  Sessions have continued to be delivered weekly across the four settings and feedback has been positive.  Shared Reading has been in the UK for many years, with research supporting its use not only within health but across social and care settings.  I am pleased to be able to introduce Shared Reading within Gibraltar.”

GHA Director General Kevin McGee said: “Shirley will be using her training to lead sessions at the aforementioned locations as part of an initial rollout programme of these activities, which will no doubt provide great therapeutic benefits to participants. These include improved well-being and reduced social isolation.”

The Minister for Health and Care, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, said: “We are very supportive of Shirley’s efforts in this area. ‘Shared Reading’ has been established within the UK for many years, with research supporting not only its use within health but across the social and care settings. The GHA has seen at first-hand how the sessions benefit the group members and I am delighted that the GHA has now rolled out this service locally.”