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Mental Depression Resources - LPC Library Research Guide

Please ask a reference librarian for assistance at any time. We will be glad to help!

 

Reference Sources

Use reference sources for background information, broad overviews and summaries. The reference collection includes general and subject dictionaries and encyclopedias, biographies, directories, bibliographies, almanacs, atlases, etc. Many also contain bibliographies for further research. Reference books cannot be checked out from the library but may be photocopied.

Subject Specific

There are several excellent psychology reference materials at the LPC library. Here are just a few examples of subject specific materials that you will find of use.

Virtual Reference Book (E-book): Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol & Addictive Behavior, 3rd ed.

Caring for the Mind  Ref RC460.H312 1995

Encyclopedia of Depression  Ref RC537.R63 2001

Encyclopedia of Psychology  Ref BF31.E52 2000

The Encyclopedia of Human Behavior  Ref BF31.G6

Encyclopedia of Human Emotion  Ref BF531.E55 1999

Encyclopedia of Child Psychology  Ref BF721.H242 1998

The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine  Ref RC41.G35 2002

Mental Health Disorders Sourcebook  Ref RC454.4 .M458 1999

Books & Audiovisuals

Use the online catalog to find materials in the library. This will show you all the books and audiovisual materials LPC Library owns. You can search for a book or video by the author, title, subject, or keyword. A subject search allows you to find books about a topic or a person. You may also ADD LIMITS to your search, such as "audiovisual" to find only videorecordings or DVDs.

Examples of subject headings:

Depression, Mental

Depression in children

Depression in adolescents

Postpartum depression

Seasonal affective disorder

Some new DVDs are:

Depression: A Backpack Full of Bricks. DVD. Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2004.
DVD RC537.D46 2004.

"... Ted Koppel talks with guests who have experienced depression as well as family members who have lived through their loved ones' agonies. The program also pays tribute to the late actor Spalding Gray, who had the courage to go public with his condition, and features clips from his performances in which depression was the focus."

Depression and Manic Depression. DVD. Films for the Humanities " Sciences, 2004. DVD RC537.D428 2004.

"Explains depression and manic depression through the experiences of several people, including Mike Wallace, Kay Redfield, Lama Dejani, and Robert Boorstin. Provides an overview of the medications and therapy currently in use."

Late-Life Depression. DVD. Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2004. DVD RC537.5.L384 2004.

"Three senior citizens describe how they have coped with depression, and medical commentary on late-life depression is also provided."

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Periodicals

Periodicals provide in-depth analyses of events and trends, research studies on particular subjects, and professional literature. When conducting research in both the social and physical sciences itit is important to know the difference between "popular" periodical literature and more scholarly publications. A good guide to identifying whether your source is from a popular magazine or scholarly journal can be found at LPC Library's guide, Scholarly Journals or Popular Magazines: What Are the Differences?

Las Positas College subscribes to several excellent journals in the field of psychology as well as some popular magazines that may report on research that is of interest to you. Please consult the Periodicals Holdings List at the Reference Desk or ask a librarian for assistance.

In addition, you may want to find articles by using an online database. These electronic databases can be accessed in the LPC Library or from home at the LPC Library Homepage.

Examples:

Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection (EBSCO) - Provides coverage of nearly 550 full text journals, including more than 500 peer-reviewed titles. It covers topics such as emotional and behavioral characteristics, psychiatry & psychology, mental processes, anthropology, and observational and experimental methods.

  • Suggestion: Do a keyword search for "Research on depression"

Health Source (EBSCO) – Contains health information with information on many health topics including the medical sciences, food sciences and nutrition, childcare, sports medicine and general health.

  • Suggestion: Do a keyword search for "mental depression"

Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) - Provides full text for more than 4,600 scholarly publications, including full text for more than 3,500 peer-reviewed journals. Coverage spans virtually every area of academic study and offers information dating as far back as 1975.

  • Suggestion: Use the same keywords that you use for the Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. You may also choose to search the three databases, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Academic Search Premier, and Health Source at the same time by checking all three before clicking continue.
  • Under Search Options you can also limit your search in order to retrieve materials from peer-reviewed journals or full-text articles. If you are looking for something from a specific publication you can limit your search by entering the name of the magazine or journal.

CQ Researcher - Explores a single "hot" issue in the news in depth each week. Topics from social and teen issues to environment, health, education and science and technology dating back to 1991.

  • Suggestion: Enter "depression" in the quick search field.

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Internet Resources

You may want to explore some Internet resources to supplement or enhance your research. Always be cautious of information you find on the Web since the quality of sources varies tremendously on the Internet. It is always a good idea to check the information against another source. As with all information resources, whether in print or on the Internet, you evaluate its quality based on the following criteria:

  • Accuracy  (Is it free from mistakes and errors?)
  • Authority  (What are the qualifications of the author?)
  • Objectivity  (Is there any strong bias?)
  • Currency  (Is the information up to date?)
  • Coverage  (To what extent is the topic explored?)

Examples of Relevant Web Sites:

Go to the Health sites listed under Internet Links on the Library Homepage. MedLinePlus, <http://medlineplus.gov/>, offers many articles on depression.

  • Suggestion: Do a search for "depression" and follow the links provided.

Citation of Sources

Keep printouts of your sources, or write out all pertinent information on author, title, publisher, date, or Internet address to identify where you got the information. Follow the format recommended by your instructor or ask a librarian to show you a "style manual." There are links to these instructions on the LPC Library web page: Citation Style Guides, as well as to the online resource, NoodbleBib, a bibliography composer.

Stephanie Fish, Librarian

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Email a Librarian

Library Telephone: 925.424.1150
Library Fax: 925.606.7249

Page last modified: January 31, 2012