Beyond the books: Teens check out mental health resources at libraries

Nationwide, medical experts and policymakers are raising red flags about the worsening mental health crisis among teens. Some pin the blame on social media’s negative influence, and others cite the pandemic’s effect on social isolation or political turmoil. 

While policymakers and behavioral health experts work on meeting the mental health needs of America’s teens, public libraries have been rising to the occasion to provide supportive resources to help them manage their emotional and social well being. 

“Libraries have been steadily evolving as our communities evolve [and] as their needs evolve, because at the end of the day … our job is to serve the public,” said Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, president of the Public Library Association and chief executive officer of the Baltimore County Public Library in Maryland. Libraries have expanded their roles as public service entities, now offering residents a range of resources like help finding jobs or preparing for college. 

Some, like the Ohio County Public Library in Hartford, Kentucky, for instance, even lets residents borrow fishing equipment and cake pans. 

“Anything you can think of that we can offer for our patrons, we are going to try to do that,” said OCPL Director Melanie Warga. That includes providing mental health resources for residents, particularly teens. In Kentucky, one in six teens ages 13-17 experience depression or anxiety, according to a 2021 statewide survey. And nationwide, more than four in 10 students said they felt persistently sad or hopeless, and almost 29% reported experiencing poor mental health, according to a youth risk behavior survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Earlier this year, the OCPL received a $6,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to finance Nourishing Minds. The initiative, which launched in March, features six two-hour sessions where teenagers ages 13-18 can discuss their experiences, learn about ways to manage their mental health and familiarize themselves with mental health-related resources. The funds will cover the cost of educational and outreach materials. 

During the first Nourishing Minds session, for instance, teenagers were given journals in which they could respond to prompts encouraging them to reflect on their mental health. They also created vision boards, or collages of magazine cutouts representing things they enjoyed in life and goals they aspired to accomplish, Warga said. Plus, they decorated gratitude jars, which they can fill with popsicle sticks with written notes like lyrics, quotes or mantras to encourage positive thinking.

The vision board and gratitude jar were examples of the initiative’s codesign activities, which Warga said encourages teens to contribute to the design and structure of the program “to feel as involved and as part of this as they can…. We don’t want it to be us standing in front of them and preaching all day.” 

At the start and conclusion of each session, teens fill out an anonymous assessment to record their stress, mood and energy levels, which helps the OCPL staff gauge the program’s impact and effectiveness. And at the program’s end, participants will receive gift cards based on attendance to reimburse them for their time and travel expenses. 

About a dozen participants showed up to the first two sessions, and based on assessment responses, “they come out feeling so much better, so much more relaxed, and really gaining a lot from [the program],” Warga said. 

The Nourishing Minds initiative helps bridge mental health resource gaps for youths to ensure they can thrive in their adult lives and take on responsibilities like having families and working. “They are our immediate future, and we need to make sure they have the tools needed in order to step into the roles we are almost demanding of them.... And mental health plays a big part in that,” Warga said. 

“Libraries have always been a safe space for teens … to hang out, to socialize, to learn, to read, so it makes perfect sense that we’re addressing some of the needs and challenges they’re facing and providing direct access and connection to [mental health] resources,” Alcántara-Antoine said. 

But as libraries expand their scope, policymakers must consider how to support their ability to do so. For instance, recent legislative attempts to restrict what books and content are allowed in public libraries imperil all other resources that the facilities can offer, Alcántara-Antoine said. And in Louisiana,  a proposed bill would prohibit government employees from using public dollars to engage with the American Library Association, which could limit library staff’s professional development to implement innovative programs and services, she said. Such restrictions could impact the funding libraries receive, and ultimately the services and resources that library staff can offer, she added. 

“Supporting teens and mental health, all of that is under threat when people are going after libraries for providing unfettered access to information and books,” Alcántara-Antoine said. “We have to remember that libraries are critical to the health of any community, and you cannot have a thriving community without a well-resourced and well-supported public library.”