Mental health research guide.p65

THOUSAND OAKS LIBRARY - 1401 East Janss Road • Thousand Oaks, CA 91362 • (805) 449-2660
NEWBURY PARK BRANCH - 2331 Borchard Road • Newbury Park, CA 91320 • (805) 498-2139
HOW TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT: MENTAL HEALTH Mental health – the successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationshipswith other people, and the ability to adapt to change and to cope with adversity; from early childhood until late life,mental health is the springboard of thinking and communication skills, learning, emotional growth, resilience, and self-esteem. Mental illness – the term that refers collectively to all mental disorders. Mental disorders are health conditions that arecharacterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/orimpaired functioning. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General—Executive Summary, 1999.
WHERE TO BEGIN: Below is a list of subjects you can use to search the library’s online catalog for books dealing with
various aspects of mental health.
GENERAL RESOURCES: Selected titles at the library on Mental Health
Mental Health : How do Americans Cope? (2004). Presents a broad-based view of various aspects of
mental health, including an historical perspective of diagnosis and treatment; promotion and prevention;
economic and legal factors; public opinion. This title is one of the latest volumes in the Information Plus
Reference Series, which strives to present facts, statistics and thoughtful comment on current topics.
Complete Guide to Mental Health for Women (2003). This book, written for the lay person, describes
mental issues for women throughout their lives. Along with descriptions of pathologies, the book sheds light
on the full spectrum of female experiences.
Fifty Signs of Mental Illness : A Guide to Understanding Mental Health by James Whitney Hicks
(2005). This is a user-friendly guide to symptoms and their treatment. Arranged alphabetically by symp-
tom, each chapter begins with an informative story or character study followed by useful knowledge related
to cause and treatment.
Helping Someone With Mental Illness : A Compassionate Guide for Family, Friends, and Caregivers
by Rosalynn Carter, with Susan K. Golant (1998). Rosalynn Carter, former first lady, has been an advo-
cate for the mentally ill all of her professional life. The author discusses the developments in research and
treatment for schizophrenia, panic attacks, and other conditions. She also addresses the emotional and
psychological issues in caring for people with mental illness.
Burden of Sympathy: How Families Cope with Mental Illness by David A. Karp (2001). The author
chronicles the experiences of family members of the mentally ill. Through 60 extensive interviews, he
sensitively explores the questions of how people strike a balance between reason and emotion, head and
heart, when caring for an ill person.
Against Depression by Peter Kramer (2005). The author of Listening to Prozac assesses the new research
that shows how depression endangers nerve cells, disrupts brain functioning, and damages the heart and
blood vessels. It also interferes with parenting and family life.
The New Antidepressants and Antianxieties: What You Need to Know about Zoloft, Paxil, Wellbutrin,
Effexor, Clonazepam, Ambien, and more by William S. Appleton (2004). This book presents a balanced
view of the pros and cons of using antidepressants and provides information on the medications and treat-
ments being used to treat depression.
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES: The library subscribes to several electronic resources that can assist the user in finding
information on mental health issues. Two databases are listed below.
— Info-Trac provides full-text access to a wide variety of articles on mental health.
— Elibrary has full-text access to newspaper and magazine articles in addition to radio transcripts. Searches can be
created to emphasize mental health issues.
INTERNET RESOURCES*
AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION
The site offers discussion and informative comment about various aspects of mental health. The “Mental Health Topics” section provides current information on a wide range of conditions, concerns and related issues.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is one of 27 components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Federal Government’s principal biomedical and behavioral research agency.
NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION
The National Mental Health Association is the nation’s largest and oldest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness. This site provides information about local affiliates, therapists andtreatment resources. Find useful fact sheet topics and answers to frequently asked questions.
UNITED STATES NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
Search for Mental Health under “Health Topics” to find the latest news, a definition of mental health and an overview of the latest research on the topic. A great place to start and be assured of current, authoritativeinformation.
* For Internet access at the Thousand Oaks Library, please inquire at the Reference Desk.
Compiled for the Thousand Oaks Library by Reference Librarians.

Source: http://www.tol.lib.ca.us/research/M_Health.pdf