In the United States, “more than 50% of [Americans] will be diagnosed with a mental illness at some point in their lifetime,” (Kessler RC). However, with limited access to affordable mental health resources, a stigma, and copious other reasons, only about 40% of these individuals will seek professional help (Mental Illness). Because of how unattainable professional help can be, novel approaches have ventured into more practical interventions, such as mindfulness-based apps and self-help books. While the intentions of these interventions are good, there is a lack of research and discussion about the true consequences of them, specifically self-help books.
I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Vukov’s ethical breakdown of Brain Computer Interfaces for not forcing a black or white conclusion, but rather stating different arguments to come to an unbiased conclusion including all perspectives. I wanted to look at the consequences of self-help books from a similar perspective and any moral considerations since the annual sales of these self-help books have grown by 11% in the last 7 years (Pierce, 2021). In the first paragraph below, I will investigate different arguments of why self-help books help humanity, whereas the latter discusses several arguments about why humanity can be harmed by them.
Self-help books are self-guided ways to solve any personal problems, bettering oneself. Many turn to these books instead of mental health professionals because of their ease when it comes to price, access, and less embarrassment when seeking them out. This better access contributes to the Fairer Distribution Argument as more underprivileged communities have a better chance of getting help for personal problems, making it better than it is right now, even though those that can afford mental health services could also afford more self-help books. Some readers do gain a sense of fulfilment from reading these and pay closer attention to details in their life when they have not done so before. Often, this is more of a placebo effect. Using the Parity Argument, it could be said that these self-help books are equivalent to receiving life advice from a friend, relative, etc. This advice, like in the book, is usually appreciated, but does not have to be considered or used by the recipient if they so choose to. Therefore, given the reader has autonomy over this advice, it cannot be deduced that the bad advice is what is morally wrong about the self-help books. However, this does not take into consideration the book being written by a more authoritative figure, such as a life coach, whom many would assume is good at writing advice. Secondly, with the liberal argument, people should be able to read a self-help book if they choose to and if it does not harm others. If the book helps an individual with their personal problems, then they should have every right to read it, but whether it works or not depends on the person, how they read the book, and the book itself.
However, there is also evidence that these self-help books may have a detrimental effect on one’s mental health. They can leave readers feeling worse about themselves, they can give bad advice as many are not written by certified therapists or the like, or sometimes they give people a false hope preventing them from seeking real help (Kraaijenbrink, 2022). Researchers in Canada found that individuals with low self-esteem felt worse about themselves after repeating positive self-statements. They hypothesized these statements instead remind the individual how they are missing this good quality instead of addressing the issue that is driving low self-esteem (Contributor, 2019). Using the utilitarian argument, if more individuals that have low self-esteem are purchasing these self-help books, then they are ultimately doing more harm for their readers than good. The Liberal Argument was mentioned in the helping section, but because self-help books could do more harm than good, even if it’s happening to the person that chooses to read the book, access should not be given. Especially with the false narrative that self-help books always help, readers do not know the full possibilities before picking up a book. However, more research about the effects self-help books have on mental health should be done for this argument.
Contributor, N. T. (2019, August 2). Can self help books be bad for you? Nursing Times. Retrieved May 4, 2022, from https://www.nursingtimes.net/archive/can-self-help-books-be-bad-for-you-07-07-2009/
Kessler RC, Angermeyer M, Anthony JC, et al. Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of mental disorders in the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Survey Initiative. World Psychiatry. 2007;6(3):168-176.
Kraaijenbrink, J. (2022, April 14). Why self-help books don't work (and how to nevertheless benefit from them). Forbes. Retrieved May 4, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeroenkraaijenbrink/2019/07/05/why-self-help-books-dont-work-and-how-to-nevertheless-benefit-from-them/?sh=e12afb85f914
Pierce, D. (2021, March 9). Self-help books fill a burgeoning need. Library Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2022, from https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/self-help-books-fill-a-burgeoning-need#:~:text=The%20self%2Dhelp%20industry%20has,period%2C%20from%2030%2C897%20to%2085%2C253.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Mental illness. National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved December 17, 2021, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
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