The following studies suggest several ways to
insure optimal library services to address the health information needs of
students. Additionally, a dozen relevant websites serve as a starting point to
share online health information with the school community.
Alexander, K., Entwisle, D., & Olson, L. (2014). The long shadow. New York, NY: Russell
Sage Foundation.
This longitudinal study found that the resources and strength of a
child’s family tended to exert a powerful influence over a child’s future.
Income and education levels – one’s socioeconomic status – are strongly linked
to all sorts of health measures, including disease susceptibility and lifespan.
Therefore, teacher librarians should provide and promote health-related
resources as well as collaborate with school faculty and specialists to teach
health literacy and healthy life choices.
Janyna Mumbauer and Viki Kelchner (2017) Promoting mental health
literacy through bibliotherapy in school-based settings. Professional School Counseling,.21(1), 85-94. http://professionalschoolcounseling.org/doi/pdf/10.5330/1096-2409-21.1.85
One in five children has or has had a mental disorder
in a given year, so the demand for mental health services within the school
setting is immense. Bibliotherapy can serve as a preventative and responsive
treatment for increasing mental health literacy within the school setting. The
authors review relevant bibliotherapy and mental health literacy research,
introduce the concept of mental health literacy in the school setting, and
provide counselors and educators with practical tools and beginning
bibliography to implement the concept. While teacher librarians are not trained
in bibliotherapy, they are well positioned to collaborate with school
counselors to ensure that appropriate resources are available for the school
community.
LeBourgeois, M. K., Hale, L.,
Chang, A. M., Akacem, L. D., Montgomery-Downs, H. E., & Buxton, O. M.
(2017). Digital media and sleep in childhood and adolescence. Pediatrics,
140(Supplement 2), S92-S96. https://www.colorado.edu/lab/sleepdev/sites/default/files/attached-files/s92.full_.pdf
A study published in Pediatrics found an association between
the use of digital devices before bedtime and inadequate and disrupted sleep in
children and adolescents. The
report finds that underlying mechanisms of these associations likely include
the following: (1) time displacement (for example, time spent on screens
replaces time spent sleeping and other activities); (2) psychological
stimulation based on media content; and (3) the effects of light emitted from
devices on circadian timing, sleep physiology, and alertness. Teacher
librarians can share this information with the school community to help address
this problem.
Patchin, J. W., &
Hinduja, S. (2017). Digital self-harm among adolescents. Journal of
Adolescent Health, 61(6), 761-766. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Patchin/publication/319937554_Digital_Self-Harm_Among_Adolescents/links/59caf15ba6fdcc451d582736/Digital-Self-Harm-Among-Adolescents.pdf
Digital
self-harm is a new problem that demands scholarly attention. Factors found to
be involved in self-harm included sexual orientation, experience with school
bullying and cyberbullying, drug use, participation in various forms of
adolescent deviance, and depressive symptoms. This study’s findings showed that boys were more
likely to report digital self-harm, and the risk of digital self-harm was three
times higher among non-heterosexual youths and 12 times higher among those who
were cyberbullying victims. Importance of this research shows that Understanding
the motivations behind this behavior, and how it correlates to offline
self-harm and suicidal ideation, can help teacher librarians work with health
professionals toward informed prevention approaches.
http://www.onlyhealthy.com/your-guide-to-teen-health/
http://teenshealth.org
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/teenhealth.html
http://www.youngmenshealthsite.org/
http://www.cfhc.org/advocacy/health-info/teens
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