Mental Health
Topic write up

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Also discover MyHeathfinder.gov to Talk with Your Doctor About Depression.


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Race, Ethnicity and Community

National Minority Mental Health Awareness graphicThe Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reports that racial and ethnic minority groups in the U.S. are less likely to have access to mental health services, less likely to use community mental health services, more likely to use emergency departments, and more likely to receive lower-quality care. Poor mental health care access and quality contribute to poor mental health outcomes, including suicide, among racial and ethnic minority populations.

The Office of Minority Health (OMH) is dedicated to improving the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will help eliminate health disparities. Share their resources and publications to raise awareness during National Minority Mental Health Awareness in July or anytime during the year.

Book cover image of an Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health

Psychologist and African American mental health expert, Rheeda Walker, Ph.D., offers important information on the mental health crisis in the Black community, how to combat stigma, spot potential mental illness, how to practice emotional wellness, and how to get the best care possible in a system steeped in racial bias. The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health | Rheeda Walker, Ph.D. | New Harbinger Publications | 2020 | 232 pages | ISBN: 978-1684034147

Graphic Medicine

NLM Graphic Medicine Ill-Conceived exhibit logo

Ian Williams, M.D. coined the term Graphic Medicine for the website https://www.graphicmedicine.org. Graphic Medicine refers to the use of graphic novels, comics, and visual storytelling in medical education, patient care, and other applications related to healthcare and the life sciences. Just as there are many genres of books and films, there are many genres of comics and graphic novels. They may be fiction or nonfiction. They may be funny, sad, informative, or provocative. The illustrations may be elaborate while others are simple. However, they all use visual storytelling to connect with the reader. For programming ideas, use the National Library of Medicine Traveling Exhibit and educational website, Graphic Medicine: Ill-Conceived and Well-Drawn! as well as Graphic Medicine & Health: Storytelling in support of the NNLM NER Graphic Medicine Initiative.

Book cover image of Meh, a young boy standing next to a cat at his feet with a dark gray backgroundPicture Book

Sadness is an emotion that everyone feels at some time or another. But sometimes you might feel a sadness so long and so deep and dark that it seems impossible to find happiness. That kind of sadness is called depression. Meh is a wordless picture book about one boy's journey through depression. Discussion questions at the back of the book are intended for parents or teachers to discuss depression with children. Meh: a story about depression | Deborah Malcolm | Thunderstone Books | 2015 | ISBN: 978-153411003

Skills Training

Caring for the Mind is an NNLM online course for library staff to learn how to effectively provide mental health information at their libraries. Participants learn about the best electronic resources to consult as well as ways to improve their print collections. Best approaches for handling interactions with emotional patrons are also discussed.

Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that gives people the skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it does build mental health literacy, helping the public identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness. Find a Mental Health First Aid course near you using the search tool.

Featured Books
Title: Everything Here is Beautiful
Author Mira T Lee
Publisher Pamela Dorman Books
Year published 2018
Book image Everything Here is Beautiful book cover
Title: Gorilla and the Bird
Author Zack McDermott
Publisher Back Bay Books
Year published 2018
Book image Gorilla and the Bird book cover
Title: Hidden Valley Road
Author Robert Kolker
Publisher Doubleday
Year published 2020
Book image Hidden Valley Road book cover
Title: Little Panic
Author Amanda Stern
Publisher Grand Central Publishing
Year published 2018
Book image Little Panic book cover
Title: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
Author Lori Gottlieb
Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Year published 2019
Book image Maybe You Should Talk to Someone book cover
Title: Rx
Author Rachel Lindsay
Publisher Grand Central Publishing
Year published 2018
Book image Rx book cover

Terms of use: Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) staff offer these health discussion resources for educational use. The materials included do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the author, publisher, or the sponsoring agencies of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).