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How can reading self-help books better the mental health of students today?

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Main Idea #1: Why Student's Mental Health has Rapidly Decreased Over the Years

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Main Idea #1: Why Student's Mental Health has Rapidly Decreased Over the Years

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The suicide rate for children and young adults, ages 10–24, rose by 56 percent from 2007 and 2017, and is now the second leading cause of death among teenagers, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (ProQuest). As of today, Social Media platforms are used by thousands of teenagers daily. In Leicester and London, 6 focus groups were formed over 6 months, with 54 members who were made up of ages between 11 and 18. The outcome; "Thematic analysis suggested that adolescents perceived social media as a threat to mental well-being and three themes were identified" (Sage Journals). The themes included an understanding that Social Media is viewed as a platform for cyberbullying, a source of mood and anxiety disorders, and is often framed as an "addiction".

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1359104518775154

https://explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2696850505?accountid=193466

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Solution #1: Librarians and Teachers Encouraging Reading-Therapy 

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Solution #1: Librarians and Teachers Encouraging Reading-Therapy 

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“There is much we librarians can do to partner with school counselors and promote student well-being through bibliotherapy” (ProQuest). Librarians and teachers throughout schooling systems can steadily encourage students to read comfortably for their own well being. "Bibliotherapy is seen as valuable for those personnel working with children who may profit from the exposure to reading materials directed to their specific problems" (SAGE). Although there are multiple ways to help tackle individual mental health issues, students can sympathize with this tactic considering how accessible this is. Libraries and librarians have the ability to introduce self-help books and overall reading which has the ability to "comfort, educate, and embrace" (SAGE).

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/002246698702100211

https://explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2696850505?accountid=193466

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Main Idea #2: The Availability of Self-Help Books in Schools

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Main Idea #2: The Availability of Self-Help Books in Schools

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A self-help book is defined as a book that is written with the intention of instructing readers on how to solve personal problems. This can be seen as a stigma-attached concept to some, while others are willing to solve their own personal issues openly. "The positive and negative consequences of self-help are a neglected subject in academic psychology" (Springer). Some schools prefer teachers and counselors to step in when a student has personal issues, rather than provide other help sources. Schooling in today's society mostly believes that mental health issues "are best served by mental health professionals with the expertise, training, and experience that school counselors currently lack" (ProQuest). Attacking this problem in schools everywhere doesn't involve hiring more professionals or staff members. But rather, contributing to additional self-help clubs or groups that go over self-help books or additional encouragement from others.

https://explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2696850505?searchid=1668529858&accountid=193466

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-006-9041-2

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Solution #2: Normalizing Bibliotherapy and Self-Help Books

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Solution #2: Normalizing Bibliotherapy and Self-Help Books

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"Understanding of the principles, philosophy, and practices of bibliotherapy is seen as valuable for those personnel working with children who may profit from the exposure to reading materials directed to their specific problems" (Sage). Self help books being introduced into schools all over the nation could rapidly decrease the number of unhealthy mental states of students. The only issue is; these books actually being available to them. However, bookstores seem to constantly sell a large amount of self-help books. "Forty-eight out of fifty-seven best selling psychology books fall under the heading self-help" (Springer).  These available self-help books can cover a multitude of topics, as "somebody with social phobia might buy a books about communication skills and somebody with a depressive disorder might buy a book to enhance personal relationships" (Springer). Introducing these tactics into regular schools and normalizing this kind of coping mechanism is overall beneficial.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-006-9041-2

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/002246698702100211

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Main Idea #3: Lack of Overall Reading in Students Today

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Main Idea #3: Lack of Overall Reading in Students Today

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Some factors to why students lack healthy reading habits consist of; school work and homework absorbing free time, lack of book selection in libraries, family's at-home life, and a heavy reliance on school reading materials. Life is a very busy job, and everyone has that shift full time. "In the world of today where knowledge is increasing rapidly and science and technology impose constant changes to human life, it is observed that humans constantly need to improve themselves in both their professional and social lives" (ScienceDirect). Other factors can simply consist of students and teenagers generally wanting to spend their time on devices and social media. A survey was taken on multiple teenagers, which shows that , "a majority of students said they spend at least 4 hours on social media a week and less than 2 hours reading for pleasure" (WWU).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042815012045

https://wp.wwu.edu/socialmediaandstudying/correlations/

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Solution #3: How Art and Reading Betters the Mental State

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Solution #3: How Art and Reading Betters the Mental State

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An experiment was conducted on a group of participants to test a hypothesis that changes in a person's character and traits can be changed under laboratory conditions. "The results show the experimental group experienced significantly greater change in self-reported experience of personality traits than the control group, and that emotion change mediated the effect of art on traits" (Taylor). Students, and overall people can all relate to things such as literature, writing, or art pieces. "According to the American Art Therapy Association, artistic expression may decrease anxiety, feelings of anger and depression" (KQED). These artistic pieces can express mood and emotion on a level that most people cannot explain in words. Reading can also hold many more benificial factors for people; "those who engaged in reading, writing, and other mentally stimulating activities in early and late life were less likely to show physical evidence of dementia, such as brain lesions, plaques, and tangles" (Medical...).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042815012045

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10400410802633392

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313429#1)-Reading-can-reduce-stress

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https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1359104518775154

https://explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2696850505?accountid=193466

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10400410802633392

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00224669870
2100211

https://wp.wwu.edu/socialmediaandstudying/correlations/

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/49569/how-making-art-helps-teens-better-understand-their-mental-health#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20American%20Art,help%20students%20regulate%20their%20emotions.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042815012045

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-006-9041-2

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313429#1)-Reading-can-reduce-stress