Caring for the Mind: Tools & Resources for Mental Health Kate Flewelling, MLIS National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region October 16, 2013

Objectives 1)Increase awareness of mental health issues 2)Learn tools to improve your mental health 3)Be informed of resources for mental health information

Prevalence 1 in 4 adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. 1 in 17 adults have a serious mental illness. Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in US and Canada. Source: NIMH

Factors Physical Social Financial Environmental Sexual Spiritual Emotional Intellectual Occupational Image:

Stigma Misconceptions portrayed by news & media Inaccurate linking of mental illness and violent behavior Prompts subtle and overt prejudice, discrimination, fear, and stereotyping Results in avoidance to work, socialize, and live with persons with mental illness Impedes persons with mental illness to seek help Sources: NAMI and Mental Health America

Expressions Avoid expressions like: “a schizophrenic or an alcoholic” In favor of: “a person with schizophrenia” or “an individual with alcohol dependence”

Cultivating mental health Image:

Disclaimer Information provided today is not a substitute for care of a health professional. If you are in need of mental health care, please consult your doctor. Image:

Rethinking Happiness Positive strategies to help us build resilience and lead fuller, happier lives Forgiveness Humor Meditation Resilience This Emotional Life, PBS Altruism Connecting with Others Creativity and Flow Happiness

Tools Exercise + Nutrition Building social supports Reframing Therapy Simplifying Gratitude Medication What helps you? Image:

Mental Health Literacy Knowledge, beliefs and abilities that lead to the recognition, management and prevention of mental health problems. Benefits: Prevention, early recognition & intervention, reducing stigma Source: Canadian Alliance on Mental Health and Illness,

Why is health literacy important? Essential life skill It is the bridge between knowledge and behavior.

Health information seeking ¾ of internet users have looked online for information about any one of 15 health topics such as a specific disease or treatment. 34% of internet users have read someone else’s commentary or experience about health or medical issues on an online news group, website or blog 14% of internet users signed up to receive updates on health information Source – Pew Internet, The Social Life of Health Information, 2011 Only ¼ of searchers look at the source or date of online health information. (Pew Report, 2006)

In the last year… Over half of US adults have looked online for health information in the past year. 35% of US adults have used the Internet to self- diagnosis, but only half of them talked to a clinician about what they found online. 54% of those 65+ are online—and over half of them have looked up health information online in the past year. Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project,

Social life of health information “On a practical level, the vast majority of people living with chronic conditions never attend traditional, in-person support group meetings, although studies show they could benefit from such groups. Instead, people often mobilize their “social convoy” of family members, friends, colleagues, fellow patients, and fellow caregivers – many of whom are connected online via , social network sites, or by other means.” Pew Internet, 2011

Reference Best practices Respecting Confidentiality Active Listening Be empathetic and patient *Use same approach as with any other reference interview*

Emotional patrons Four step approach 1) STOP 2)BREATHE 3)REFLECT 4)CHOOSE Source: Spatz, M. Answering Consumer Health Questions. 2008

Open ended questions “What kind of information on …are you looking for? Would you tell me more about …? When you say…, what do you mean? What do you already know about …?

RESOURCES YOU CAN TRUST

Resources Places to Start Drug Information Complementary and Alternative Therapies Support/Advocacy

PLACES TO START

MedlinePlus

MedlinePlus In a Nutshell Over 900 health topics in English and Spanish Drug and herbal supplement information Videos and animations Health Check tools Easy-to-read Materials Multiple Languages Medical Dictionary & Encyclopedia Health News

Mental Health Topics Learning Disorders Prescription Drug Abuse Living with Cancer Coping with Disasters Depression Stress Self-Harm Coping with Chronic Illness Seasonal Affective Disorder Substance Abuse Problems Personality Disorders

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Health Topic: PTSD

Mental Health Information on MedlinePlus.gov Start with the health topics For basic information, you can use the medical encyclopedia Find providers and hospitals/facilities in the directories Find support groups in organizations section Learn more about drug information Learn about supplements

American Psychological Association

National Institute of Mental Health

Information on NIMH Health information by age, and gender Information on treatment including medication, psychotherapies and brain stimulation Spanish information Clinical Trials You can order free copies of print patient handouts Videos show stories of persons coping with mental illness as well as scientist and doctors presenting on the latest research

SAMHSA SAMHSA

COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE THERAPY

NCCAM NCCAM

Information on NCCAM Research-based information on complementary and alternative therapies Uses and side effects of herbs and botanicals How to find a practitioner Safety information

DRUG INFORMATION

Drug Information Portal

Drug Information Portal: Haldol

Pillbox Pillbox enables rapid identification of unknown solid-dosage medications (tablets/capsules) based on physical characteristics and high-resolution images. Once a medication is identified, Pillbox provides links to drug information and drug labels.

SUPPORT/ADVOCACY Organizations National Alliance on Mental Illness Mental Health America Pennsylvania Behavioral Health and Aging Coalition Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumers' Association (PMHCA)

Directory of Health Organizations

Community Resources Developing social supports Support groups Alternative therapy Counseling and Psychiatry Career counselors Faith based organizations Mental Health Libraries & Public Libraries Local public health dept mental health div. Health Hotlines (dirline.nlm.nih.gov) Mental health libraries, public libraries Hospital (day treatments, in-patient) Local Health Department’s Mental Health Division Others?

Search tips Start out with a general site like MedlinePlus to get an overview of your topic Keep in mind there may be more than one term for the same condition Conditions may manifest in completely different ways Though inaccurate, many resource use terms like disease, disorder, spectrum and syndrome interchangeable Source: Anderson PF, Allee N. The Medical Encyclopedic Guide to Searching and Finding Health Info on the Web, 2004

Collection Development UCONN HealthNet Mental Health Guide ReachOut Reads

Take home points Fight stigma Be proactive about your mental health Cultivate your knowledge of mental health resources

Thank you! Kate Flewelling National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region Funded by the National Library of Medicine under a contract #HHS-N C with University of Pittsburgh