All of Sharon: Community Conversations on 88tal Health 2018-2019

This project will host a speaker series featuring two local mental health professionals who will offer presentations on anxiety and depression. The series will include six sessions aimed at different age groups: teenager/young 88, 88, and 89. The sessions will provide information about anxiety and depression: how it manifests and impacts individuals; coping strategies for those affected by these disorders; advice on interacting in a healthy and compassionate way with affected individuals as a parent, colleague, friend, or acquaintance; resources and support for caretakers, especially those resources available from the National Library of Medicine; and other related information. Each session will be recorded and made available online for community members who were unable to attend in-person. Information about the National Institutes of Health and the research program will accompany the presentations and online recordings, along with resources, helpful links, and guidance on how to locate and identify accurate, quality health information. Once the series has concluded, we intend to use it as a model and springboard for additional health-related programs on topics such as grief, aging, and death. As a neutral, trusted, and safe "third space" within our community, the library is uniquely positioned to connect individuals with the resources they need on these subjects.