Reflecting on student mental health: Creating a meditation room in a small college library

Abstract

There was a time when meditation, mindfulness, and massage were often seen as luxuries or the domain of granola-eating eccentrics. Now such activities have moved into the mainstream and are embraced by millions of Americans. Data analyzed from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey indicated that 8%, or 9.3 million, of Americans reported using meditation in the previous year. The most common reason cited, according to the report, was mental health problems. Anxiety, stress, and depression were the top mental health problems for which individuals used meditation.