- Research shows that reading for pleasure has various benefits for people of all ages.
- Reading has been linked to better cognitive skills and mental well-being, as well as lower levels of stress and loneliness.
- For children, reading for pleasure is associated with better attention, memory, academic achievement, and mental health.
- In older adults, regular reading is associated with slower cognitive decline and a lower risk of dementia.
Whether it’s a novel, a magazine, or a graphic novel, reading for pleasure can benefit people of all ages, according to a review published in Psychological Medicine on September 15.
Regular reading has been linked to better thinking skills, mental well-being, and a lower risk of cognitive decline. From childhood through older adulthood, this accessible activity may help build cognitive reserve and support brain health.
Alex Dimitriu, MD, double board certified in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, who wasn’t involved in the review, told Healthline, “Reading builds empathy, improves focus, and offers a healthy digital detox. Reading also fires up the imagination and provides a low enough level of stimulation to inspire us to think and feel on our own.”
While research shows various benefits of reading, it is important to keep in mind that most studies on reading and brain health are observational, showing associations rather than causation.
The importance of reading for pleasure begins in early childhood (ages 3–10).
Neuroimaging also showed that reading for pleasure was associated with larger cortical areas and greater volumes in brain regions linked to language and emotional regulation.
“Importantly, these associations remained even after accounting for factors such as parental education, household income, and other potential confounders, suggesting that early reading may be an accessible way to support healthy brain development,” said Dung Trinh, MD, internist, of MemorialCare Medical Group and Chief Medical Officer of Healthy Brain Clinic in Irvine, CA, who wasn’t involved in the review.
However, data show that reading among children and adolescents is declining, especially among boys ages 11–16 and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
Despite this decline in engagement, findings from a 2025 United Kingdom survey highlight opportunities to re-engage these young readers. For example:
- 2 in 5 stated they were more motivated to read when the material was related to a favorite TV series or film (38.1%) or matched an interest or hobby (37.1%)
- 3 in 10 (30.9%) said they were drawn to an interesting cover or title
- 1 in 4 (26.6%) valued the freedom to choose what they read
Even those who reported low enjoyment of reading acknowledged its educational value. Nearly half said that reading helps them learn new words and new things, with many choosing to read song lyrics, news articles, fiction, comics, and fan fiction.
These findings suggest that aligning reading with familiar media and personal interests may help encourage children and adolescents to read more.
There are many reasons why reversing this trend is important.
A crucial one is that children and adolescents who enjoy reading, or read every day, are more likely to achieve significantly higher scores on reading assessments.
This highlights the association between reading engagement and literacy attainment.
Reading may also benefit mathematical development, as both these skills share various cognitive and neural mechanisms.
Evidence also shows that children who begin reading for pleasure early in life show:
- better attention, memory, and executive functioning
- greater academic achievement
- fewer mental health problems
- healthier lifestyles, including more sleep and less screen time
Finding ways to encourage children to read for pleasure can be important for both their educational development and their overall well-being.
Reading has also been found to offer several other benefits for adults, including overall well-being, reducing feelings of loneliness, and improving social connections.
In a 2015 Quick Reads survey by The Reading Agency, adults suggested that reading offered significant benefits for their well-being, particularly fostering empathy, personal growth, and stress reduction.
Among adults who read for just 30 minutes each week, 64% reported a better understanding of other people’s feelings.
Adults also reported that reading inspired positive life changes, such as seeking a new job, ending an unhealthy relationship, or traveling to new places.
Readers also reported positive changes in their personal development, with 20% saying they began taking better care of their health and 19% stating they took up a new hobby.
Half of the readers also noted that they became more tolerant of other people’s beliefs, and 17% said they were able to stay calmer during a disagreement.
Surveys showed that reading is one of the most popular stress relievers among adults, with 38% choosing books as their preferred way to unwind. More people turned to reading for comfort, with 35% choosing this option compared to 31% choosing wine and 10% a hot bath.
Even just six minutes of reading was found to reduce stress by up to 68%.
Around 74% of adult readers reported that reading has had a positive effect on their mental health and well-being, and 41% said it helps them feel more connected to others.
Surveys also highlight positive early experiences with reading, with 65% of adults saying they enjoyed being read to as a child.
Among adults ages 18–34, 59% said reading made them feel more connected to others, while 44% expressed a desire to have someone to read with.
“The muscles of sustained focus, patience, slowing down, impulse control, and imagination are essential to defining us as human beings, and among our highest qualities. Reading is one of the few remaining quiet refuges in our modern lives,” said Dimitriu.
Book clubs and shared reading offer social benefits for all ages, but this may be especially important for older adults.
Evidence from older
More recent research also supports the cognitive benefits associated with reading. For instance, a 2021 study showed that older adults who read regularly performed better on cognitive tests than non-readers.
“Reading is a cognitively stimulating activity, and one theory is that it may help build cognitive reserve, giving the brain greater resilience as it ages,” said Trinh.
“[While] longitudinal studies have found that people who read regularly have lower rates of later cognitive impairment or dementia, more research is needed to determine exactly how much of that relationship is causal and whether reading changes Alzheimer’s biology itself.”
Research like this suggests that reading may be a low cost way to support cognition and brain health. It may also help protect against cognitive decline later in life.
Trinh noted that, “Reading should be viewed as one promising component of a broader brain-healthy lifestyle, rather than as a stand-alone treatment or guaranteed way to prevent dementia.”
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