Over the past years, great books about mental health have been published. But in the era of Amazon and ebooks, it can be hard to know which ones to start with. That’s where we come in. We’ve compiled a list of the 15 best mental health books that you just might find beneficial.
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Importance of Mental Health and Mental Health Books
You may be wondering, “how helpful can mental health books really be?” The truth is, they can be a valuable resource.
They can help readers battling mental health issues by providing actionable tips and stories from people in similar situations. Additionally, they can help people be more informed and empathetic to those with mental illnesses.
Our mental health is an essential part of our overall well-being. Just as it’s important to take care of our physical bodies, we also need to prioritize mental wellness. And one way to do that is by reading a book on mental health.
However, it’s important to note that while these books discuss anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, they aren’t a substitute for professional help. If you or someone you know needs mental health support, visit Crisis Services Canada. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
Our Favourite Picks
Over the past years, great books about mental health have been published. But in the era of Amazon and ebooks, it can be hard to know which ones to start with. That’s where we come in. We’ve compiled a list of the 15 best mental health books that you just might find beneficial.
- This Too Shall Pass: Stories of Change, Crisis, and Hopeful Beginnings by Julia Samuel
- Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
- Hope and Help for Your Nerves: End Anxiety Now by Claire Weekes
- Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski, Amelia Nagoski
- The Body Keeps Score: Brand, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
- This is Depression: A Comprehensive, Compassionate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Understand Depression by Diane McIntosh
- Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity by Justin Baldoni
- What Happened To You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D Berry, Oprah Winfrey
- Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb
- The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression by Andrew Solomon
- The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health by Rheeda Walker
- Healing the Trauma of Abuse: A Woman’s Workbook by Mary Ellen Copel and Maxine Harris
- Freedom from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Johnathan Grayson
- The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to ACT by Russ Harris, Steven C. Hayes
- Why Am I Still Depressed? Recognizing and Managing the Ups and Downs of Bipolar II and Soft Bipolar Disorder by James Phelps
Acclaimed psychotherapist Julia Samuels uses her experience and hours of conversation with patients to help us learn how we can adapt, thrive, and overcome our most challenging and transformative experiences in life. Combined with social and psychological research, This Too Shall Pass helps us learn how to deal with the hard times in life while exploring themes of family, love, health, work, and personal identity.
If you are suffering or have ever suffered from depression, then you can probably relate to Matt Higg. In his book, Reasons to Stay Alive, Higg gives an inspiring account of his own life and how he overcame his depression with the help of writing, reading, and support from his family. Using humour and encouragement, Matt Higg shares his experiences to help those who feel overwhelmed by depression, teaching us that we should never lose sight of hope.
Anxiety is something that we all experience at some point or another. But for many people, anxiety is a crippling illness that debilitates one’s ability to function and can fill a person’s life with stress and frustration. Dr. Clair Weekes addresses this very real problem in Hope and Help for your Nerves and uses her experience with patients to give step-by-step guidance on how to understand, analyze, and overcome anxiety.
There are many things that women experience differently than men, and, according to the authors, burnout is one of those things. This book by sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski acknowledges the unique experience of women and helps them learn how to minimize their stress, manage their emotions, and learn how to live fuller, more enjoyable lives. By addressing the cycle of exhaustion and teaching us to manage real-life obstacles, Burnout can help us achieve mental wellness.
Depression is a common illness that many people will face, but it isn’t always understood. Diane McIntosh changes this with her book that confronts depression head-on and explains everything you need to know about this serious and, at times, isolating illness. While keeping the language accessible and approachable, This is Depression addresses the causes, impacts, and treatment of depression while providing encouragement and hope that it can be managed.
Mainstream masculinity can put men under an enormous amount of pressure to behave and act a certain way. In Man Enough, actor and activist Justin Baldoni talks about his struggles with masculinity and addresses complex topics like strength, vulnerability, marriage, body image, sex, gender equality, fatherhood, and racial justice. In doing so, Justin encourages readers to redefine what it means to be a man and move beyond what society tells us a man should be.
When we reflect back on our actions and our emotions, it’s easy to assign blame to ourselves and even hold ourselves to an impossible standard. Questions like “what’s wrong with me?” might even pop up. This book by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey asks us not to say “what’s wrong with me?” but instead ask, “what happened to me?” understanding that sometimes past traumas can influence how we react and behave in certain situations. What Happened to You? uses stories from Windfrey’s own past to examine trauma. It also focuses on people’s experiences, asking us to shift our approach to trauma and consider a different path forward.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is filled with wisdom and humour, and tells the story of Lori Gottlieb, a therapist who needed to find a therapist after her world came crashing down. She explores the lives of her patients and finds that the questions they ask her are the same ones that she asks her therapist. It’s a story that asks us to reexamine ourselves and others and think about the truths and stories we tell to others and ourselves.
This book by Andrew Solomon addresses depression in a unique way, taking both the author’s experiences and examinations of others to create a new understanding of mental illness, depression, and humanity.
Solomon examines depression in a personal, cultural, and scientific context, drawing on his own struggles with mental illness and interviewing doctors, policymakers, scientists, and philosophers. Full of wit, intelligence, and compassion, The Noonday Demon will challenge you to look at mental health in a whole new way.
In this book, Rheeda Walker explains that there is a Black mental health crisis and highlights the forces that undermine mental health progress for Black people. The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health explores what it will take for the Black community to mentally heal and provides tips on how to spot mental illness, practice emotional wellness, get the best care possible, and navigate mental health in a system that disenfranchises Black people
Trauma comes in many forms, such as physical, emotional, and sexual. And the sad truth is women are twice as likely to suffer from a traumatic event in their lifetime than men.
In Healing the Trauma of Abuse, Mary Ellen Copel and Maxine Harris offer step-by-step exercises and tips geared towards women, which can help readers manage the effects of trauma in their lives and find a way back to themselves.
Dr. Jonathan Grayson has worked for over two decades helping people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder and are trapped in ritualistic behaviours that stop them from living their lives to the fullest.
In his book, Freedom from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Dr. Grayson provides a self-guided version of his incredible program, which focuses on lasting recovery and preventing relapses. It also empowers readers and helps them make breakthroughs in their coping behaviours.
Authors Russ Harris and Steven C. Hayes explain that many people are caught in the happiness trap: trying to find ways to be happy but ultimately becoming depressed, stressed, and anxious.
To address this issue, Harris and Hayes share the ACT technique (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) in their book to readdress how we approach happiness. The Happiness Trap will help readers clarify their values and find true satisfaction in life.
If you suffer from depression that keeps coming back, you might actually be dealing with a different mental health issue altogether, according to James Phelps.
In Why Am I Still Depressed, Phelps addresses this situation and explains that you could be experiencing bipolar II and soft bipolar disorder. The book will help readers identify if they have a non-manic form of bipolar disorder. And will provide guidance on addressing this mental health issue with their doctor, ultimately finding a way to manage depressive symptoms.
Support Mental Health
While these 15 books discuss different aspects of mental health, they all stress the importance of mental health. One in five Canadians will experience a mental health illness at some point in their lives. And the onset of COVID-19 has only made these problems worse.
Unfortunately, many Canadians struggle in silence due to the ongoing stigma surrounding mental illness and feel like they have no place to turn.
It’s crucial to help end the stigma around mental health and increase access to care. Canadian charities are leading the charge working tirelessly to de-stigmatize mental health and provide critical services in the form of advocacy, crisis support, counselling, education, and other types of professional support services and treatment.
But for these critical programs to continue, we need your help. Donate to the Support Mental Health Fund, which is comprised of over 400 mental health organizations. With your donation, you can help a teenager struggling with depression, trauma survivors, someone considering suicide, and many more. Become a mental health champion today.