Rebecca C.

Zimmerman

LIS 620

November 19, 2018

LibGuide Warmup C

Anxiety Disorders and the Academic Library

I intend to create a LibGuide that will serve the needs of UNCG library patrons with

anxiety disorders. While it will also be formatted for professors and members of the public to

use, this means that my LibGuide will primarily serve graduate and undergraduate students at

UNCG. This is important because anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the

United States and incidences of anxiety disorders in college students are on the rise (Rosati &

Jenkinson 2001). High school and college students are five to eight times more likely to be

diagnosed with an anxiety disorder than similar students of 50 years ago (Harper 2017). This is a

serious issue with life or death consequences. Suicide is the leading cause of death for students

ages 10-24, however, most students who require medical and therapeutic help for anxiety

disorders do not receive it. (Harper 2017). On average, students experience symptoms for eight

to 10 years before they receive diagnosis or treatment (Harper 2017). It is important that, both

during and after this gap, students with anxiety disorders obtain support from their parent

intuitions, including their school libraries. As I will demonstrate in this warmup, libraries can

play a central role in connecting suffering students with resources that make them feel heard,

understood, and proactive about symptom management as well as providing a safe physical

space where their emotions can be felt and cared for.

First, we must acknowledge that not all anxiety disorders are the same. The medical term

includes five different mental illnesses whose symptoms and severity differ from person to
person. The first is GAD or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It is defined as “a long-term worry

with no basis in reality” that causes physical symptoms from headaches and muscle fatigue to

vomiting (Rosati & Jenkinson 2001). Secondly, there is Panic Attack Disorder, the anxiety

disorder that I have. It “consists of an intense physical reaction which mimics heart attacks,

strokes, or the sensation of ‘going crazy’ and can occur with or without a trigger or original

stimulus (Rosati & Jenkinson 2001). Other people with anxiety disorders struggle with specific

Phobias, or irrational, persistent, and intense fears surrounding a particular situation or thing

(Rosati & Jenkinson 2001). These include Social Phobias as well as more well-known fears like

arachnophobia (fear of spiders) or acrophobia (fear of heights). While more commonly thought

of as a separate mental illness, OCD or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is the fourth diagnosable

anxiety disorder. It involves having “persistent worries that evolve into rituals that interfere with

daily life” such as feeling the need to wash one’s hands exactly fifty times after going to the

bathroom (Rosati & Jenkinson 2001). Finally, the last anxiety disorder librarians need to know

about is PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This occurs when “the memory of past

traumatic effects interferes with and disrupts a person’s life” (Rosati & Jenkinson 2001). It is

often set off or intensified by specific stressors from loud sounds to disorderly smells that remind

patients of their pasts.

While all these disorders differ in symptoms and severity, they all involve intense fear

reactions, create tangible physical distress, and have social stigma attached to them. As Rosati

and Jenkinson state, “Unfortunately the common belief persists that those with anxiety can

simply will themselves to feel differently (2001). While anxiety disorders disrupt people’s lives

with real physical symptoms the same way that broken bones or cancer does, anxiety disorders

and mental illnesses in general are not treated this way by the general public and patients are
instead commonly met with hostility. This stigma can interfere with a person’s job prospects or

reputation within a community which only adds to the overall distress of their situation (Rosati &

Jenkinson 2001). Thus, it is important for libraries to provide both safe physical spaces for

patrons with anxiety disorders and secure information practices through which those with anxiety

disorders can access up to date information on their illnesses without facing community

sanctions.

After interviewing library patrons with many different mental and physical

disorders, Pionke stated that those with autism and PTSD felt very strongly about the library’s

physical space as a whole (2017). While they agreed that the library stacks seemed

“labyrinthine” and intimidating they generally saw the library as a safe, quiet refuge where they

could feel secure (Pionke 2017). This would be especially true of UNCG’s silent floors. While

the main communal areas are filled with hustle and bustle, the top four floors of the library are

reserved for quiet study spaces which can feel safe for otherwise overwhelmed patrons with

anxiety disorders. In addition to quiet places, Pionke observed patrons with anxiety disorders

highly requesting clean physical spaces. Sanitation was incredibly important for those surveyed

with PTSD or OCD (Pionke 2017). They found clean, orderly spaces to be more comfortable

and indicative of comforting routines and some patrons even requested their own cleaning

supplies and wipes, so they could continue to keep the library that was (Pionke 2017). This is an

important consideration to keep in mind as the UNCG library allows more food and drinks on

their premises as these items can create unexpected messes that could startle those with sensitive

fear responses. For Pionke’s responders, however, the library staff were the most important part

of demarcating the library as a safe space for those with disabilities like anxiety disorders. Many

patrons worried how their coping mechanisms would be handled by those around them and how
they could receive help if they were struggling with communication (Pionke 2017). For

example, when I have a really bad panic attack, I become unable to speak normally. I have an

app on my phone that allows me to converse with others by typing my responses. My comfort

level in an area, therefore, depends on how quickly those around me adjust to and accept their

application usage to communicate my problems and needs. Pionke called for additional training

of library personnel to address this security need, especially because anxiety disorders are

generally “invisible disabilities”—others cannot tell from physical appearance if an individual is

living with such a disability (Pionke 2017). It is important for library staff to be sensitive to such

concerns and know what symptoms they may observe on a daily basis.

The library serves as an “Third Space” for patrons with anxiety disorders. This

means that it provides an area of public interaction between a person’s home and a person's job

or educational endeavors (Elmborg, Jacobs, McElroy, & Nelson 2015). This is especially

important for students who use this kind of space to form interpersonal relationships with peers

and adults that can help them thrive (Harper 2017). Libraries have seen an increase of usage as a

third space, especially for those with mental disorders because of their easy access to the

internet. Noruzi states that “the internet, especially the web, is a means of to provide ready

access to mental health information and care to underserved populations and people that cannot

otherwise seek or receive treatment” (2007). Websites can help those with anxiety disorders get

up to date answers and feedback without facing significant community stigma. This can occur

through websites for information dissemination, websites for peer-delivered therapeutic support

(such as a message board or online support group), and websites for professional delivered

treatment (Noruzi 2007). More and more therapists and psychologists are interacting with their

clients through video and message chat services and it is important for patrons with anxiety
disorders who have no other means of therapeutic intervention to utilize these services. Patrons

can hear from others who are undergoing the same or similar symptoms from increased

connectivity of the internet, helping them feel like they are not alone. Patrons can also get

information on definitions, treatments, symptoms, and drug interactions from websites more

easily than they can from books or the support systems around them. This has led many medical

personnel to the practice of “webotherapy” or “sharing web resources with the intent of helping a

client deal with a personal problem” like an anxiety disorder (Noruzi 2007). The library,

particularly the academic library which is filled with vetted information and utilized primarily by

educated individuals, can be a wonderful hub for this kind of continual self-help.

In my LibGuide, I hope to provide patrons with informational, peer-relational, and

medical resources that help them navigate their anxiety disorders without fear or stigma. I

believe UNCG’s library is excellently placed to serve as a sanctuary for students with mental

illnesses and can greatly benefit their lives.

Works Cited

Elmborg, J., Jacobs, H. L. M., McElroy, K., & Nelson, R. (2015). Making a third space for

student voices in two academic libraries. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 55(2),

144-155. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.uncg.edu/10.5860/rusq.55n2.144

Harper, M. (2017). Helping students who hurt: Care based policies and practices for the school

library. School Libraries Worldwide, 23(1), 41-54.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.uncg.edu/10.14265.23.1.004
Noruzi, A. (2007). Webotherapy: Reading web resources for problem solving. The Electronic

Library, 25(6), 741-756.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.uncg.edu/10.1108/02640470710837164

Pionke, J. J. (2017). Toward holistic accessibility: Narratives from functionally diverse patrons.

Reference & User Services Quarterly, 57(1), 48-56. Retrieved from

https://login.libproxy.uncg.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.libproxy.uncg.edu/docview/1953846134?accountid=14604

Rosati, K., & Jenkinson, V. (2001). Anxiety disorders: Better health through communication.

Health Care on the Internet, 5(1).

 References

Elmborg, J., Jacobs, H. L. M., McElroy, K., & Nelson, R. (2015). Making a third space for

student voices in two academic libraries. Reference & User Services Quarterly,  55(2),

144-155. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.uncg.edu/10.5860/rusq.55n2.144

Harper, M. (2017). Helping students who hurt: Care based policies and practices for the school

library.  School Libraries Worldwide, 23(1), 41-54.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.uncg.edu/10.14265.23.1.004

Noruzi, A. (2007). Webotherapy: Reading web resources for problem solving. The Electronic

Library, 25(6), 741-756.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.uncg.edu/10.1108/02640470710837164

Pionke, J. J. (2017). Toward holistic accessibility: Narratives from functionally diverse

patrons. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 57(1), 48-56. Retrieved from

https://login.libproxy.uncg.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.libproxy.uncg.edu/docview/1953846134?accountid=14604

Rosati, K., & Jenkinson, V. (2001). Anxiety disorders: Better health through

communication. Health Care on the Internet, 5(1).