LibGuides: Feel Good Days: A Library Guide to Thriving in University: Mental Health

Books

Mental health in Ireland : the complete guide for patients, families, health care professionals and everyone who wants to be well

Bibliotherapy : the healing power of reading / Bijal Shah

ADHD: the college experience: how to make it through college and reach your potential by embracing your unique strengths / Arash Zaghi

Thrive: maximizing well-being in the age of AI / Ravi Bapna and Anindya Ghose

Student mental health and wellbeing in higher education: a practical guide / Nichola Barden and Ruth Caleb

The psychology of music performance anxiety / Dianna T. Kenny

The stress-free guide to studying at university : a student's guide towards a better life / Gordon Rugg, Sue Gerrard and Susie Hooper

Selfhood : a key to the recovery of emotional wellbeing, mental health and the prevention of mental health problems, or a psychology self help book for effective living and handling stress / Terry Lynch

The student guide to mindfulness / David Mair

The relaxation & stress reduction workbook / Martha Davis, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, Matthew McKay

50 ways to manage stress / Stella Cottrell

Manage your stress / Clare Wilson

Divergent mind : thriving in a world that wasn't designed for you / Jenara Nerenberg

The tapping solution : a revolutionary system for stress-free living / by Nick Ortner.

Mindfulness: a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world / Mark Williams and Danny Penman

The gifts of imperfection : let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are / Brene Brown

Mindfulness for students / Stella Cottrell

Self-esteem / Gael Lindenfield

The artist's way : a spiritual path to higher creativity / Julia Cameron

Your one wild and precious life / Maureen Gaffney

Mindful art therapy : a foundation for practice / Barbara Jean Davis

I am here now: a creative mindfulness guide and journal / Alexandra Frey and Autumn Totton

Overcoming low self-esteem : a self-help guide using cognitive behavioral techniques / Melanie Fennell

Managing Stress / Kate Joseph

The compassionate mind : a new approach to life's challenges / Paul Gilbert

Meditation is not what you think : mindfulness and why it is so important / Jon Kabat-Zinn

The anxiety and stress solution deck : 55 CBT & mindfulness tips & tools / Judith Belmont

How not to worry : the remarkable truth of how a small change can help you stress less and enjoy life more / Paul McGee

Stress management for life : a research-based, experiential approach / Michael Olpin, Margie Hesson

Stress, health & well-being : thriving in the 21st century / Rick Harrington.

Stress control : a mind, body, life approach to boosting your well-being / Jim White

Anxiety : Panicking about Panic: A Powerful, Self-Help Guide for Those Suffering from an Anxiety or Panic Disorder / Joshua Fletcher

The anxiety & phobia workbook / Edmund J. Bourne

Good anxiety : harnessing the power of the most misunderstood emotion / Wendy Suzuki ; with Billie Fitzpatrick

ABC of anxiety and depression / edited by Linda Gask and Carolyn Chew-Graham

The 10 best anxiety busters : simple strategies to take control of your worry / Margaret Wehrenberg

The anxiety solution : a quieter mind, a calmer you / Chloe Brotheridge

Anxiety and Panic : how to reshape your anxious mind and brain / Harry Barry

Overcoming anger and irritability : a self-help guide using cognitive behavioral techniques / William Davies

Coming through depression / Tony Bates

Depression : a practical guide / Harry Barry

The depression workbook : a guide for living with depression and manic depression / Mary Ellen Copeland; with contributions by Matthew McKay.

CBT for mild to moderate depression and anxiety: a guide to low-intensity interventions / Colin Hughes, Stephen Herron and Joanne Younge

Coping and suicide amongst the lads: expectations of sasculinity in post-traditional Ireland / Felicia Garcia

The OCD workbook: your guide to breaking free from obsessive-compulsive disorder / Bruce M. Hyman and Cherry Pedrick

eBooks

Positive health : 100+ research-based positive psychology and lifestyle medicine tools to enhance your wellbeing [eBook] / Jolanta Burke, Padraic J. Dunne, Trudy Meehan, Ciaran A. O'Boyle and Christian van Nieuwerburgh

Mindfulness for students [eBook] / Stella Cottrell

Man down : A guide for men on mental health [eBook] / Charlie Hoare

Mindfulness-based stress reduction : the MBSR program for enhancing health and vitality [eBook] / Linda Lehrhaupt and Petra Meibert

The self-care handbook : connect with yourself and boost your wellbeing [eBook] / Gill Hasson

The reflective journal / Barbara Bassot

Managing Stress in Music Education: Routes to Wellness and Vitality [eBook] / H. Christian II, Bernhard

Mindfulness, acceptance, and positive psychology : the seven foundations of well-being [eBook] / Todd B. Kashdan and Joseph Ciarrochi

Dark blue: the despair behind the glory: my journey back from the edge [eBook] / Shane Carthy

Journals & Articles

ARROW@TUDUBLIN Here's What Happens To Your Body When You're Stressed [RTÉ Brainstorm] by Alexander Campbell ABSTRACT Stress is a common part of life, affecting all systems of the body including the respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, musculoskeletal, reproductive and immune systems. It is a physiological and psychological response to a range of challenging situations.
Publication Date: 2023
ARROW@TU DUBLIN The Eudemonic and Hedonic Impacts of Attending Live and Virtual Music and Art Events by Philippa Kirwan and Samantha Morris ABSTRACT This paper examines the under-investigated well-being impacts of arts and music events attendance, in both a live and virtual capacity. Using eudaimonia and hedonia as a measure for well-being, three objectives were investigated; 1) Do live arts and music events meet attendees eudemonic and hedonic needs? 2) Do virtual arts and music events meet attendees eudemonic and hedonic needs? 3) How do live and virtual music and art events compare in meeting attendees eudemonic and hedonic needs? The study focused on attendee’s experiences having attended both live and virtual events. Using nine semi-structured interviews this research found that live music and art events offer more eudemonic and hedonic impacts for the attendee than virtual events. Additionally, participants at live events experienced hedonia, although it was unclear whether all participants experienced eudaimonia, achieving overall well-being. Participants of virtual events, on the other hand felt that the social aspects and atmosphere were lacking, while a few of the participants did not achieve any eudemonic or hedonic impacts on their well-being.
Publication Date: 2022
Effect of Physical Exercise Intervention Based on Improved Neural Network on College Students' Mental Health by Linlin Cai ABSTRACT Physical exercise refers to various physical exercises carried out through certain means and methods. Physical exercise can not only achieve the purpose of strengthening the body and health but also make people face challenges in physical and mental sports, and the resulting psychological satisfaction and excitement make exercisers happy physically and mentally. Physical activity has a certain appeal that makes it one of the most effective ways for modern people to alleviate mental illnesses. The human brain's reaction time is linked to its thinking speed and intelligence. Regular physical activity can increase human brain cell reaction time and completely utilize human brain capacity, which is beneficial to the healthy development of human attention, memory, imagination, and thinking ability. Scientific and reasonable physical exercise is also an important means to improve people's intelligence levels. Everyone's physical health level is closely related to their mental health. A healthy mind comes from a healthy body. A large number of scientific studies have confirmed that reasonably arranging the contents and methods of physical exercise according to their own health level and psychological state cannot only enhance the physique of college students but also cultivate their excellent personality. Firstly, this paper summarizes the influence of physical exercise on mental health. The ways of employing physical exercise to improve and improve the mental health of college students are presented in this study. Then, this paper proposes a physical exercise intervention based on an improved neural network (NN), which has an impact on the mental health level of college students, and the effectiveness of this model is verified by simulation experiments.
Publication Date: 2022
Accommodation environments and student mental health in the UK: the role of relational spaces by Joanne D. Worsley, Paula Harrison and Phiannon Corcoran ABSTRACT Background Despite Universities UK emphasising a “whole university approach” to improve mental health and wellbeing, quantitative research exploring the role of accommodation environments in student mental health is limited. Aim To explore the effects of physical and social structures on university student mental health in the UK. Methods Using a cross-sectional sample of newly acquainted student residents living in shared accommodation in North West England (n = 904), this study sought to investigate how accommodation environments influence students’ mental health with a focus on the concept of relational spaces. Results Within the milieu of university accommodation, a low sense of belonging and feeling uncomfortable were associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Poor relationships with fellow residents and not using communal areas were associated with higher levels of depression and loneliness, whilst sharing cooking with others was associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. Conclusions For students to flourish in their new homes, accommodation providers must consider relational wellbeing, making places that foster a sense of belonging where students feel sufficiently connected to others. As empowering communities and promoting community cohesion is central to health and wellbeing promotion, greater efforts need to be made to consider relational aspects of space and wellbeing in the design and stewardship of student accommodation.
Publication Date: 2021
Effects of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy on Mental Health: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis by Yasuhiro Kotera, Miles Richardson and David Sheffield ABSTRACT Shinrin-yoku, immersing oneself in nature using one’s senses, has been receiving increased attention internationally. While most of the existing studies have focused on physical health, this systematic review and meta-analysis examined the mental health impacts of shinrin-yoku, using the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO registry: BLINDED). Of 497 articles retrieved on databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Science Direct and Google Scholar, twenty met the inclusion criteria. All studies were conducted in Asia and Europe, and used a variety of different bathing approaches (e.g. breathing, walking, yoga). While noting a need for more rigorous research and extensive follow-up assessments, the findings indicate that shinrin-yoku can be effective in reducing mental health symptoms in the short term, particularly anxiety. More careful examination of shinrin-yoku practices is needed; longer follow-up with participants from a range of countries along with greater examination of potential mechanisms is needed for shinrin-yoku to be accepted into mainstream interventions.
Publication Date: 2020
ARROW@TU DUBLIN Forget FOMO and embrace JOMO; the joy of missing out by Bhuvan Israni ABSTRACT Opinion: the joy of missing out is about being satisfied with where you are and not comparing your life to others.
Publication Date: 2020
Effect of a critical thinking intervention on stress management among undergraduates of adult education and extramural studies programs by Okide, Charity Chinelo; Eseadi, Chiedu; Ezenwaji, Ifeyinwa O
Publication Date: August 2020
The mental welfare effect of creativity: how does creativity make people happy? by Wangbing Shen, Meifeng Hua, Meijiao Wang and Yuan Yuan ABSTRACT There is an emerging interest in the positive influence of creativity on individuals’ psychological well-being (PWB). Considering most studies focused on the relationship between divergent thinking and PWB, only several studies have dealt with the role of convergent thinking in PWB, which should be just as important, if not more so. To deepen the knowledge on the association between convergent thinking and PWB, 423 undergraduates were invited to complete the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the PWB Scale and the Remote Associates test. As expected, results showed a positive association between PWB and convergent thinking. Also, mindfulness was found to partially mediate the relationship between creativity and PWB. Potential implications and future research directions are proposed.
Publication Date: 2020
Exploring the relationship between housing concerns, mental health and wellbeing: a qualitative study of social housing tenants by Eleanor Holding, Lindsay Blank, Mary Crowder, Edward Ferrari and Elizabeth Goyder ABSTRACT Background The rising prevalence of mental health problems is a growing public health issue. Poor mental health is not equally distributed across social groups and is associated with poverty and insecure housing. An evaluation of a social housing intervention provided an opportunity to explore the connections between housing and wider determinants of health and wellbeing. Methods We undertook 44 interviews with social housing tenants over a two-year period to explore their views on housing, health and wellbeing. Results Poor mental health was common. The results suggest that perceptions of housing quality, service responsiveness, community safety, benefit changes and low income all have a detrimental effect on tenants’ mental health. Conclusions Social housing providers who wish to have a positive impact on the mental health of their tenants need to consider how to best support or mitigate the impact of these stresses. Addressing traditional housing officer functions such as reporting or monitoring home repairs alongside holistic support remains an important area where social housing departments can have substantial health impact. Tackling the complex nature of mental health requires a joined up approach between housing and a number of services.
Publication Date: 2019
Environmental, health, wellbeing, social and equity effects of urban green space interventions: A meta-narrative evidence synthesis by R.F. Hunter, C. Cleland, A. Cleary, M. Droomers, B.W. Wheeler, D. Sinnett, M.J.Nieuwenhuijsen and M. Braubach ABSTRACT As populations become increasingly urbanised, the preservation of urban green space (UGS) becomes paramount. UGS is not just dedicated recreational space such as public parks, but other types of informal green space are important, for example, street trees and roof gardens. Despite the potential from cross-sectional evidence, we know little about how to design new, or improve or promote existing UGS for health, wellbeing, social and environmental benefits, or known influencing factors such as physical activity.
Publication Date: 2019
Zen and the abstract art of detangling the mind: Zentangle is a form of meditative drawing that helps people relax their minds, calm their emotions and focus on the moment by Sylvia Thompson (The Irish Times) Occupational therapist Peter Connolly starts by explaining that Zentangle is a new art form with roots in calligraphy, drawing and meditation. "It's a kind of mindful drawing which encourages you to bring a deliberate focus and attention to what you are doing. The mind gets quite busy and used to doing so many things at the same time, but with Zentangle, the mind naturally begins to settle down," he says. Connolly completed the four-day course with [Rick Roberts] and [Maria Thomas] in 2013 and has since become Ireland's first certified Zentangle trainer. "We were researching new group activities for people dealing with anxiety, depression and stress, and we came across Zentangle," says Connolly. Connolly describes Zentangle as a gateway to meditation for those who find it hard to be still and direct their attention. "When you're drawing, other things come up, like whether you're creative or not, whether you're hard on yourself or perfectionist, how much pleasure you experience from drawing. I encourage people not to use a ruler or rubber. It's an abstract, non-representational art form. All the [original] Zentangle patterns are named after things they don't look like."
Publication Date: 2015

Online Resources

TU Dublin Student Counselling Service
Free, confidential counselling appointments with fully qualified psychologists & psychotherapists.
One-to-one counselling, group therapy programs and events throughout the year (appointments online and face-to-face)
Chaplaincy Service @ TU Dublin
Explore concerns and worries in a safe and confidential setting where you will be listened to and supported. The Chaplains are here for students of all faiths and no faith, and are available for you 24/7. You'll also find information here mindfulness on campus, prayer and meditation rooms, and intercultural and religious exchange events and celebrations.
SilverCloud
Free online mental health platform - self-paced, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) exercises.
Available with your TU Dublin student login on any laptop or mobile device.
Jigsaw
The National Centre for Youth Mental Health; get in touch via live chat or phone for expert mental health support or to set up free therapy, offered online and in person for all ages 12-25 years
turn2me
Sponsored by the HSE, an online space to gain support for your mental health - offering a daily journaling area, guided meditations, anonymous online support groups around various themes / identities, and up to 6 free counselling sessions for all Irish residents