by
Abstract
An
exploration of how librarians and other information professionals assist people
in locating self-help resources. Self-help mental health resources are becoming
increasingly important as there is an established link between mental health
well-being and physical well-being and how long people will live. Also the
increasing reliance on social media also contributes to the need for self-help
mental health resources that the average person can understand. Rather than
taking a scholarly tone, this blog post tries to be conversational to resonate
with the average person and to make librarians approachable to the average
person with no medical training and little time.
Keywords: Mental Health; Libraries; Self-Help Resources
Like
one’s body needs exercise to stay fit, attention needs to be paid to our
thinking faculty, the brain. Hence, mental health is a good habit that makes
people more intelligent and broad minded. Therefore, the benefits one can
obtain through focusing on their mental health is immeasurable. However, as
people spend more time on social media, social media becomes a major source of
news with Pew Research (2025)[1]
reporting that 53% of U.S. adults get their news from social media. Aside from
social media shaping people’s mental health, mental health also has a profound
impact on how long people will live. This is not professional medical advice,
but rather explains to you how your friendly neighborhood librarian, archivist,
or other information professional can help you on your mental health journey.
How
does mental health impact how long people will live?
Also
according to Pandey (2022)[4]Chronic
stress may cause systemic inflammation and increase cancer mortality. Again
patient education and medical professional education is key to reducing the
risk of early death from conditions, such as cancer, exacerbated by chronic
stress. This is helpful across the lifespan because cancer strikes no matter if
you are young, old, or a child and can be devastating to both individuals and
families as well as make a huge dent in your pocketbook.
More
concerning is that chronic stress may reduce your lifespan by 2.8 years
according to an article by UF Health[5]. This is not good news as
you might dream of living to be over 100 years old and you don’t want stress to
put a damper on those hopes. Also the old adage, that something or someone will
give you a heart attack rings true as stress does contribute to an increased
risk of a heart attack or stroke. You don’t want to literally drop dead just
because you let stress get the best of you.
How can librarians and other information professionals help you to live longer?
- Direct you to reviews of free
mental health resources
- Librarians and other
information professionals help people to understand that reviews of free
mental health resources, e.g. Navigating the Web: Curated Website Reviews
for LIS and Professionals and the Public[6],
library guides on mental health topics are available from various
colleges and universities and from studies such as A Systemic Review of
United States Academic Library Guides[7], and
mental health groups, such as NAMI[8], are
available to help you solve your own mental health problems and perhaps
lower your chance of dying from heart disease. Additionally, peer groups
online, in-person available from mental health groups, community
organizations, and commonly found on the internet are great free mental
health resources as a lack of social connections is as dangerous to your
health as smoking cartons of cigarettes.
- If you are someone who enjoys
doing the daily crossword puzzle, jigsaw puzzles, or other games, your
local library may offer free games you can try. According to MHA Delaware[9]Puzzles
are a brain exercise, meaning that if you feel stressed head to your
local library to try your hand at a puzzle or just pull out a puzzle from
your cupboard to try. Puzzles may delay Alzheimer's or dementia according
to MHA Delaware, which is especially helpful if you have a family history
of Alzheimer’s or dementia. Puzzles need not be done by yourself, they
can involve the whole family, spouses, and others also helping to lift
your mood and improve your mental health while at the same time providing
hours of entertainment. Also crossword puzzles can be a source of
life-long entertainment for children as well as be a productive hobby for
people of all ages.
- Encourage you to talk to your
doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional
- Your doctor, pharmacist, or
other healthcare professional may have pamphlets, brochures, etc. on how
to manage your own mental health and thus keep your stress low and your
heart healthy.
- Also your doctor, pharmacist,
or other healthcare professional may be able to direct you to
professional help for your mental health condition, whether it is a
psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, or counselor. This is
especially helpful if you suffer from an addiction, physical and or
mental problems because medicine alone without therapy usually does not
work very well.
- Make your day
- Can you imagine feeling
stressed about work, school, taking care of children, or whatever life
throws at you? It could elevate your day to take a few minutes each day
to go through free mental health resources to recharge your batteries. It
can be when you are waiting for the laundry to be done or whenever you
have downtime during your day?
- Simply visiting the library,
even if it is for a few minutes during your lunch hour, may lift your
mood as social connections have been shown to lift mood even if the
social connections are just for a few minutes. Also, reading a book you
get from the library has been shown to reduce stress no matter if you are
retired, in kindergarten, or working and raising a family.
Summary
There are a plethora of advantages to taking care of your mental health. Mental health self-care reduces the risk of dying from stress-related diseases and heart diseases.
Although
people in the contemporary world tend to stigmatize mental health and have a
sedentary lifestyle, it really pays dividends to the individual if they take a
few minutes every day for mental health self-care. Mental health self-care is
also one of the ingredients to be a successful person even if you just read
about mental health self-care during a train ride to work or during a taxi
ride.
[1] “Pew Research Center. (2025). “News Habits
& Media.” Last modified September 24, 2025, https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/news-habits-media/
[2] CDC. (2025). “NCHS Provisional Report on U.S.
Mortality for 2024.” Last modified September 24, 2025, https://blogs.cdc.gov/nchs/2025/09/10/7840/
[3] Nagle, et. al. (2025). “Psychocardiology:
Mental Health and Cardiac Care.” Last modified September 24, 2025, https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/cardiac-psychology
[4] Pandey, Nalinee. (2025). Lifelong stress may
be associated with higher risk of mortality caused by cancer. Last modified,
September 25, 2025, https://www.bjmo.be/lifelong-stress-may-be-associated-with-higher-risk-of-mortality-caused-by-to-cancer/
[5] UFHealth. (2025). “Stress and Life
Expectancy: How Does One Impact the Other?” Last modified September 26, 2025, https://online.aging.ufl.edu/2025/01/22/stress-and-life-expectancy-how-does-one-impact-the-other/
[6] Gregory Tharp. (2025). Navigating the Web:
Curated Website Reviews for LIS Professionals and the Public.” Last modified
September 24, 2025, https://www.amazon.com/Navigating-Web-Curated-Website-Professionals/dp/9999328377?ref_=ast_author_dp
[7] Gregory K. Tharp. (2025)). A Systematic
Review of United States Academic Library Guides. Last modified September 26,
2025, https://eric.ed.gov/?q=Gregory+Tharp&id=ED674766
[8] NAMI. (2025). “NAMI.” Last modified September
24, 2025, https://www.nami.org/
[9] MHA Delaware. (2025). “Puzzles and Brain
Health.” Last modified September 26, 2025, https://www.mentalhealthde.com/blogs/puzzles-and-brain-health
See Also
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