According to an article in The Bookseller, based on research conducted on behalf of Galaxy Quick Reads, people who read for pleasure have greater levels of self-esteem, are less stressed and can cope better with difficult situations than lapsed or non-readers.
The research found that people who read for 30 minutes a week are 20% more likely to report greater satisfaction with life than those who do not. Readers are 20% less likely to report feelings of depression and 10% more likely to report good self-esteem than non-readers.
Source: The Bookseller, 6.2.15, p16