INFORMATION DISSEMINATION AND COLLABORATION OF LIBRARIANS WITH HEALTH PRACTITIONERS FOR SUSTAINABLE MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY AMONG YOUTHS IN RURAL AREAS OF NORTH-CENTRAL, NIGERIA.

Abstract

The study was on Information Dissemination and Collaboration of Librarians with Health Practitioners for Sustainable Mental Health Literacy among Youths in Rural Areas of Northcentral, Nigeria. The study was guided by seven objectives and seven corresponding research questions. The objectives of the study were to determine the: level of mental health literacy of the youths in the rural areas of North-central, Nigeria; types of information resources and services on mental health literacy available in the library for the youths; influence of information dissemination on mental health literacy of the rural youths; influence of social media on the mental health literacy of the rural youths; level of collaboration between the librarians and mental health practitioners in disseminating mental health information; influence of collaboration of the librarians and mental health practitioners on the mental health; factors affecting sustainable mental health literacy amongst youths in the rural areas of North-central, Nigeria. Survey research design method was adopted for the study. The total population of the study was 108,737 including 108, 668 youths, 63 librarians and 6 health practitioners. The total sample size is 395 including 383 youths drawn from Gill et al. (2010) table for determining the sample size of a population and 6 participants each, from the studied public libraries and public health centers via purposive sampling method. Questionnaire, interview schedule and focus group discussion were used as instruments for data collection. Out of 383 copies of questionnaire administered, 352 were filled, returned and used for the analysis. Descriptive statistical tool (frequency counts and percentages, mean and standard deviation) and narrative analysis were used to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicated the following: mental health literacy of the rural youths of North-central Nigeria is very low with overall mean value of (2.18); (2.38) influence of information dissemination on mental health literacy, (2.40) influence of social media on mental health literacy, low level (2.33) of collaboration between librarians and mental health practitioners; (2.25) influence of collaboration on mental health literacy; inadequate information, superstitious beliefs, unavailability of mental health centres (2.85) among others were factors affecting sustainable mental health literacy of the rural youths. The study concluded that health practitioners and librarians’ involvement in adequate information dissemination is crucial to mental health literacy. Therefore, the study recommended among others that the ministries of information and ministries of health in the North-central states form a consortium that facilitates collaboration between public librarians and mental health practitioners for a sustainable boost to the mental health literacy of the rural youths; the management of public libraries in North-central Nigeria should endeavour to equip the public libraries with adequate resources to enable them provide improved mental health information services to the communities they serve; the management of public libraries in North-central Nigeria should ensure to put in place a quality assurance system, for the evaluation and adjudgment of the collaborative process to ensure that information services to the served communities are taken seriously; the government should improve the remuneration of the public librarians and mental health workers for improved working conditions and the establishment of mental health institutions in rural areas, or at least, a mental health department in public health centres.