Awareness and use of digital bibliotherapy among users of university libraries in Nigeria

Digital bibliotherapy is a field of intervention which presents a potential solution to mental health issues in developing nations, specifically in Nigeria where formal care is cripplingly limited. This study explored the frequency of library use, familiarity with digital platforms, awareness, use, obstacles, and differential outcomes of digital bibliotherapy among the library users in Nigeria basing on the world and regional literature. The data was gathered on a descriptive survey design on 400 participants in federal, state, as well as private universities. Results indicate that a significant portion of university library users (67.5%) engage with the library frequently, a significant percentage of university library users in Nigeria (75%) are familiar with digital platforms, the awareness of bibliotherapy services is moderate with a grand mean of 3.3 which is an indication that the respondents have a moderate awareness of digital bibliotherapy, with respondents noting that they are aware of the services but perceived that it has not been promoted in institutions. The level of usage is moderate but with low scores (mean 3.0) indicating that users are aware of it, yet they hardly use it, and this was infrastructural and cultural stigma, yet sharing of the resources through peers was observed. Poor internet connections, low digital literacy, and lack of proper institutional facilitation proved to be very decisive barriers. The ANOVA analysis revealed that there was a significant difference in the mental health outcomes of the users in regards to their exposure to different levels of bibliotherapy which highlights the potential of bibliotherapy when it is scaled up. The positive results are moderate-high (mean 3.6), which indicates that digital bibliotherapy can be regarded as a contributor to resilience, coping, and general mental health. The research makes an addition to the theoretical debate by supporting the Health Belief Model and Technology Acceptance Model as factors in determinants of adoption, with awareness, perceived usefulness and ease of entry being the key factors. In practice, the results urge the policy to integrate bibliotherapy in the national mental health strategies, infrastructural funding, and focus on awareness campaigns. Overall, the study contributes to the knowledge about digital bibliotherapy as the scale able and cost-effective solution to the mental health issues in Nigeria, and it relates to the organizational management, workplace policy, and the remote productivity within the digital economy of the post-pandemic period.