United States Academic Libraries and Mental Health

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: United States Academic Libraries and Mental Health
Language: English
Authors: Gregory K. Tharp (ORCID 0000-0001-7372-3988)
Source: Online Submission. 2025.
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Academic Libraries, Mental Health, Library Materials, Self Help Programs, Help Seeking, Undergraduate Students, Internet, Bibliographies, Reference Materials, Mental Disorders, Neurological Impairments, Schizophrenia, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Psychiatry
Abstract: Purpose of Research: As academic faculty report being emotionally exhausted and students, ranging from undergraduates to graduates, report a constellation of mental health conditions, both preexisting and those apt to develop during the college and university years, the academic library becomes a source of mental health self-care resources. Mental health self-care resources include general mental health resources, e.g. mental health professional organizations, as well as short explanations of selected mental health conditions academic library personnel are apt to encounter in the academic library setting due to the age group of traditional undergraduate college and university students and the increasing age of college and university faculty and staff. Results of Research: The results of the research are quite simple: the identification of selected free mental health resources from the internet and the development of brief snapshots of selected mental health conditions briefly detailing what the mental health conditions and what internet based resources are freely available. Major Conclusions: Major conclusions include recommending that mental health condition snapshots be commonly used by academic libraries as mental health resources and be adjunctive to general mental health resources. Additional studies would be needed to determine if both general and condition specific mental health resources provided by the academic library are helpful in addressing the academic community mental health concerns in the long run or in the short run. Future studies address various issues such as the safety of using free mental health electronic resources and may take various forms, e.g. longitudinal studies.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED674767
Database: ERIC
Be the first to leave a comment!
You must be logged in first