Mental health awareness: Resources for everyone

Abstract

Approximately one in five adults (19.1%) experienced mental illness in 2018. In my opinion, one of the reasons that only 43.3% of those individuals received any kind of treatment or services is the stigma surrounding mental illness. As information professionals, we are uniquely positioned to assist patrons with finding the information and resources they need in order to learn what mental illness is, what it is not, discover that they are not alone, and find the best treatment for their situation. Everyone suffering from mental illness needs to know that there is hope for them and that they don’t need to suffer alone. When people feel that there is no hope of relief, their mental illness can become fatal through suicide.