Book Day is celebrated this year with the sale of manuals on psychology multiplied by five with respect to the moments before the coronavirus
The pandemic triggered consumption and interest in self-help books. At the most critical moment of these last two years, the demand for these guides exploded up to 512%. That is, it multiplied by five compared to the moments before the coronavirus.
According to a study published by Idealo, the peaks in the increase in interest in these books coincide with the waves of the coronavirus, and consequently, with the increase in restrictions. The maximum is reached in the third wave, in January 2021, when the Christmas meetings triggered the cases. The second maximum is recorded at the end of August 2020, coinciding with the second wave after the summer holidays. Fernando Miralles, professor of psychology at CEU San Pablo University, points out that “what gives human beings the most anxiety is uncertainty, and the pandemic has been a time of great uncertainty, especially in times of greater restrictions.”
IDEAL
The confinement that was imposed forced many people to drastically change their lifestyle, and with it the need to adapt to this transformation. This period of uncertainty generates the perfect breeding ground for doubts and whys to assail and to try to delve into the questions of who we are and where we are heading our lives. The direct consequence is an approach of society to psychology. “We have made mental health visible, the stigma of going to the psychologist has fallen,” says Kike Aganzo, head of communication at Idealo.
As for the profile of consumers of this type of book, the study reveals the differences between men and women in terms of psychology. Women consume 28% more of this type of book than men. Miralles finds the reason in that “men do not usually ask for help because for them it seems that it is to be weak”, but he warns that in the end, “for every suicide of a woman, there are three of a man”.
The age group in which this type of book is most consumed is from 45 to 54 years old and in which less than 18 to 23. This is mainly due to the fact that at more mature ages, “the glass is full, already as soon as we pour a drop of water, it will overflow» but at younger ages «the glass still has a lot of room», explains Miralles.
Regarding the preferences between the paper or the e-book, consumers have it clear. The traditional format continues to prevail among more than 66% of users. “The book is one of the few things that has not succumbed to digital, because for everything else people prefer the digital format,” says Kike Aganzo, head of communication at Idealo.
And regarding the forecasts, Aganzo points out that the trend in interest in self-help books “has been maintained despite the stabilization of covid-19, so it is possible that it will continue to rise in the coming years.”
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