Check out our guide to the 30 best books to read for mental health. Whether you’re struggling or want to help someone you love, these are great resources.

According to the World Health Organization, Mental Health conditions are rising. In the last decade, mental health concerns have increased by 13%, and around 20% of children worldwide have a mental health condition. These mental health concerns can cause a variety of health problems if left untreated. While professional help from a psychotherapist, trained therapist, or other mental health professional is vital, reading books and practicing gratitude journalling can help people understand and manage their mental health struggles.

Due to the stigma around mental health conditions, it can be hard to open up and talk about this topic, so education is key to moving forward. This list of the best mental health books includes books written by therapists, psychologists, and other mental health experts that can help to break the stigma and help people regain control of their mental well-being.

30 Best Books To Read For Mental Health Ranked

1. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk

The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk looks at how the human body stores trauma. Dr. Van Der Kolk is a researcher who has spent years studying trauma and how it reshapes the body and the brain. In the book, he discusses this problem in-depth and explores how the brain’s neuroplasticity can be tapped to heal the trauma through various strategies. Not only is the book educational, but it’s also empowering because it gives people with mental health struggles the tools to protect their physical well-being.

“For real change to take place, the body needs to learn that the danger has passed and to live in the reality of the present.”

Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score

2. Brain Inflamed by Dr. Kenneth Bock

Brain Inflamed looks at how brain inflammation could be the root cause of anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders in young people. The book, written by Dr. Kenneth Bock, an integrative medicine physician, explores the connection between systemic inflammation and brain-based mental health disorders. Since mental health disorders are rising at staggering rates in the youngest generation, this discussion is essential for education about mental health. The book aims to shed light on why so many of today’s youth need mental health care.

“Mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders, are rampant in school-age children, and the response for dealing with these issues from healthcare providers is, more often than not, pharmaceutical.”

Dr. Kenneth Bock, Brain Inflamed

3. All the Things We Never Knew: Chasing the Chaos of Mental Illness by Sheila Hamilton

All The Things We Never Knew comes from the perspective of Sheila Hamilton, a reporter who missed the signs of mental illness in her husband, including suicidal thinking from bipolar disorder, until it was too late. The book sheds light on the realities of poor mental health by re-telling a personal experience watching a loved one who was living through it. Hamilton wrote the book because she couldn’t find a similar book amid her struggles with her husband. It has several sections, including her personal story, inserts for people in crisis, and well-researched information for people trying to navigate the world of mental health.

“Self-stigmatization can be even more potent and destructive. David’s worsening mental health resulted in a sense of shame so great that his doctors say it complicated the most extreme of his symptoms.”

Sheila Hamilton, All the Things We Never Knew

4. I Thought It Was Just Me, But It Isn’t by Brene Brown

Bestselling author Brene Brown tackles the idea of perfectionism in I Thought It Was Just Me, But It Isn’t. This educational book delves into the effects of pursuing what we think we must do to attain to gain perfection. It pulls from seven years of research and over 100 interviews to shed light on the reality that our imperfections make us human and connect us. The author also looks closely at shame and how it hurts our self-esteem.

“Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change.”

Brene Brown, I Thought It Was Just Me

Books for Children on Mental Health

5. A Blue Kind of Day by Rachel Tomlinson

Rachel Tomlinson is a psychologist passionate about helping kids understand their mental health. A Blue Kind of Day discusses depression in a way that’s easy for kids to understand. The book shows how depression feels in the body and how to support people who struggle with it with empathy, care, and patience. Simple language makes it accessible to even the youngest readers. Its illustrations are ethnically diverse, which adds to its appeal.

“Coen was having a blue kind of day . . . It was a slumping, sighing, sobbing kind of day.”

Rachel Tomlinson, A Blue Kind of Day

6. A Little SPOT of Anxiety: A Story About Calming Your Worries by Diane Alber

Diane Alber has created a charming set of books called the A Little SPOT series. A Little SPOT of Anxiety tells children where anxiety comes from and how it can become overwhelming if you don’t learn how to manage it. When that spot grows so you can’t do what you need or want to do, it needs help. The book teaches children practical coping mechanisms they can use to shrink that little spot of worry.

“From the tip of my finger to the center of my palm, I can do this! I can be calm!”

Diane Alber, A Little SPOT of Anxiety

7. Ruby’s Worry by Tom Percival

Ruby’s Worry by Tom Percival is a sensitive book encouraging children to share their biggest hidden worries with friends, parents, and guardians. It reminds parents and children alike that all children have fears and that if they aren’t shared, those worries get bigger and bigger every day until they can make you feel sad. The book is available as a durable board book, so children of all ages can start learning about their feelings and how to express them.

“Ruby had always been happy. Perfectly happy. Until one day . . . she discovered a worry.”

Tom Percival, Ruby’s Worry

8. The Sad Book by Michael Rosen

Featuring illustrations by the famous Quentin Blake, The Sad Book by Michael Rosen explores how to handle feelings of sadness. The author has experienced deep sadness of his own. In the book, he discusses his experiences and how he learned to cope. Rosen also reminds children that everyone has sad stuff, and they can be proud of themselves for managing their sadness well.

“Sometimes I’m sad, and I don’t know why. It’s just a cloud that comes along and covers me up.”

Michael Rosen, The Sad Book

9. Mr. Worry: A Story About OCD by Holly L. Niner

Mr. Worry: A Story About OCD tells the story of Kevin. Kevin has to do several routines before going to bed at night. Even though the little boy wants to stop these actions and knows they don’t make sense, he can’t stop. Caregivers and children alike will appreciate the careful way author Holly L. Niner addresses this serious and common concern. The book also gives children hope that help is possible.

“Kevin checked his closet. Nothing in there. He pushed the door to make sure it was closed. He pushed it one more time.”

Holly L. Niner, Mr. Worry: A Story About OCD

10. A Terrible Thing Happened by Margaret M. Holmes

Traumatic experiences can be hard for children to understand. Witnessing violence or other traumatic events can rewire a child’s brain and trigger a trauma response that can cause physical symptoms. A Terrible Thing Happened by Margaret M. Holmes is a gentle book that gives parents a tool to talk to their kids about the traumatic situation they are facing. It also provides a jumping-off point for a conversation about what therapy is and how to make it successful. The last section of A Terrible Thing Happened provides resources for parents to help them work with their traumatized children.

“Sherman Smith saw the most terrible thing. He was very upset. It really scared Sherman to see such a terrible thing.”

Margaret M. Holmes, A Terrible Thing Happened

Books for Men on Mental Health

11. Cry Like a Man by Jason Wilson

Author Jason Wilson spent much of his career working with boys in Detroit. During this work, he realized that there is a need for change in culture’s definition of masculinity to promote emotional well-being in men. Cry Like a Man is his memoir, and it explains the dangers of the “men don’t cry” mentality in modern society. Wilson’s goal with the book is to help men embrace healthy emotions so that they can restore their relationships.

“Men expect boys to act like men, but there’s rarely a man in their lives patiently teaching them how to be one.”

Jason Wilson, Cry Like a Man

12. Nothing’s Wrong: A Man’s Guide to Managing Emotions by David Kundtz

In Nothing’s Wrong: A Man’s Guide to Managing Emotions, David Kundtz discusses the dangers of making men hide and bottle up their emotions. The author reminds readers that men have deep emotions and that they shouldn’t ignore them. It provides practical suggestions on mastering and identifying emotions healthily while giving age-specific guidelines for teens and adults of all ages.

“How many times have we heard the question, ‘What’s wrong?’ It generally comes when we are noticeably feeling something. Our response to the question invariably is, ‘Nothing’s wrong,’ which always seems to be the wrong answer, at least not the answer that was expected or desired. The questioner is often-but not always-a woman.”

David Kundtz, Nothing’s Wrong: A Man’s Guide to Managing Emotions

13. Boys Don’t Cry: Why I Hid My Depression and Why Men Need to Talk About Their Mental Health by Tim Grayburn

Author Tim Grayburn struggles with depression but kept that struggle secret for ten years. The shame of admitting he had depression kept him from getting help. A loved one made him realize his need for help, and he decided to share his story. This led to the writing of Boys Don’t Cry, a book designed to break the stigma around men and mental health. It is a memoir with some poignant truths woven in.

“What kind of planet do we live on where it is acceptable for a twenty-two-year-old lad to be left to get on with it and figure out what had just happened all on his own?”

Tim Grayburn, Boys Don’t Cry

14. Man Down: A Guide for Men on Mental Health by Charlie Hoare

Man Down: A Guide for Men on Mental Health explores men’s challenges when discussing their emotions. In addition, it explores practical ideas for getting help, protecting one’s well-being, and identifying specific mental health concerns. Author Charlie Hoare explores suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, and gender expectations in this book.

“To get men talking about mental health, we need to break down the stigmas associated with it.”

Charlie Hoare, Man Down: Guide for Men on Mental Health

Books for Women on Mental Health

15. The Emotionally Exhausted Woman: Why You’re Feeling Depleted and How to Get What You Need by Nancy Colier

Today’s women have a lot on their plates, and the burden of it all leads to emotional exhaustion. Nancy Colier explores this reality in The Emotionally Exhausted Woman. Collier discusses how women often take on the emotional load of trying to please others. The author is a therapist and spiritual teacher, and the book dives into ways women can build their self-esteem and become empowered to take back their emotional energy without the traditional and pointless forms of self-care, like a glass of wine and bubble bath.

” ‘Who’s taking care of you?’ This one question brings more women to tears than any other question I ask. After the tears, the response that comes is usually a simple, no one.”

Nancy Colier, The Emotionally Exhausted Woman

16. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is an Apple Best Books Pick, Book of the Month Club selection, and Oprah Magazine’s Best Nonfiction Book for 2019. In this work, Lori Gottlieb, a licensed therapist, finds herself in need of a therapist, and she takes the opportunity to invite people into her world to see mental health from the point of view of a clinician and a patient. It removes some stigma and encourages readers to seek help when needed.

“We tend to think that the future happens later, but we’re creating it in our minds every day. When the present falls apart, so does the future we had associated with it. And having the future taken away is the mother of all plot twists.”

Lori Gottlieb, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone