Health + Wellness
The Library has an exceptional collection for up-to-date health information. We have also compiled a list of community resources and authoritative health materials to ensure you are receiving current and accurate health information.
Note: Please remember that while libraries and librarians provide access to medical information, librarians are not medical professionals and cannot provide medical advice. If facing a medical emergency dial 9-1-1 right away. For mental health emergencies, dial 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or get confidential mental health support 24/7 at 310-6789 (no need to dial area code).
For medical advice seek a physician or dial 8-1-1 for HealthLink, a free-of-charge provincial health information and advice phone line available in British Columbia.
- Last updated: August 14, 2021
LIBRARY DATABASES
Access these resources using your WVML card.
Find articles from scholarly journals in nearly every academic discipline. Excellent for students and researchers.
Access Information: Licensed for West Vancouver residents only.
Find full-text articles from scholarly journals and reference books across multiple disciplines including health and wellness.
Access Information: Licensed for West Vancouver residents only.
on the web
These recommended websites are free and easily accessible! All you need is an internet connection.
A national helpline available to Black youth to support their health, mental wellbeing, education, and communities. They are available toll-free at 1-833-294-8650.
Nation-wide organization that champions good mental health. CMHA branches across Canada provide a wide range of innovative services and supports to people who are experiencing mental illness and their families. The North Shore Branch is located at #300 - 1835 Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver.
North Shore Peer Assisted Care Team (PACT) is a mobile civilian-led team, that will respond to crisis calls related to mental health and/or substance use on the North Shore. The program pairs a mental health professional and a peer worker to provide trauma-informed, culturally safe support to youth aged 13+ or adults in the North Shore.
Call 1-888-261-7228 or text 778-839-1831 – available in English and Farsi
Service Hours: Thursday to Sunday, 6 pm to 12 midnight
A directory of Counselling Psychologists, Counsellors and Therapists in BC, indexed by area of practice, type of therapy, location and more.
24/7 confidential and free distress services. 1-800-784-2433 (Anywhere in BC. Language service is available. Ask for an interpreter.) 604-872-3311 (Vancouver Coastal Regional Distress Line)
Online chat services for youth and adults are also available 7 days a week from noon - 1 AM across BC and Yukon. See Get Help page.
Information about the Crisis Line Association BC as well crisis numbers to call for barrier-free, non-judgmental, confidential support through 24/7 phone lines and online services:
1800SUICIDE: 1-800-784-2433 if you are considering suicide or are concerned about someone who may be.
310Mental Health Support: 310-6789 for emotional support, information and resources specific to mental health.
Local Crisis Line number(s) and area served can be found at Map/Crisis Lines
Emergency room wait times for the North Shore, Vancouver, and Richmond, updated every 5 minutes.
A great first stop for non-emergency health information and services for British Columbians. Covers health topics, medical tests and medications, public health alerts, and more.
You can also call 8-1-1 toll-free to speak with a nurse, dietitian or pharmacist about your health concerns, and to receive assistance in finding a family practice. They can also provide translation service in 130 languages, just state desired language at the start of a call and interpreter will join in.
Dial 7-1-1 for BC's healthline for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Here2Talk connects all students currently registered in a B.C. post-secondary institution to free, confidential counselling and community referral services, conveniently available 24/7 via app, phone and web.
HeretoHelp provides information about managing mental illness and maintaining good mental health, including self-management resources and screening self-tests.
iCON is a reliable and community-driven source of information, resources and networks to support patients, families and community members in chronic disease education, prevention and management.
Operating out of the HOpe Centre at Lions Gate Hospital, the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre provides free mental health and substance abuse information, resources, help with mental health system navigation and peer support to children, youth and their families from across BC. Services include Peer Navigation, a mental health resource library, and support groups and programs.
Kids Help Phone is a 24/7, national support service that offers professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people in both English and French. Connect via phone, text, mobile app or through their website.
The KUU-US Crisis Line Society provides a First Nations and Indigenous specific crisis line available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, toll-free from anywhere in British Columbia.
Crisis Lines:
- Adult/Elder Line: 250-723-4050
- Child/Youth Line: 250-723-2040
- BC Wide Toll Free:1-800-KUU-US17 (1-800-588-8717)
- Métis Crisis Line: 1-833-MétisBC (1-833-638-4722)
Look up a disease or condition, a symptom, a prescription drug, a test or procedure, or sign up for the Clinic's Health Letter.
Browse health topics for specific diseases or conditions, get information on drugs and supplements, and find articles and illustrations on many diseases, tests, injuries, and surgeries in the Medical Encyclopedia.
PubMed is a free search engine accessing primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics
A very useful list of reliable medical websites covering topics like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and more. Based on criteria like credibility, sponsorship/authorship, content, audience, and currency.
This US National Institute of Health site conducts and supports research and provides information about complementary health products and practices.
The NSDRC is the only organization on the North Shore that assists anyone, regardless of age, with any kind of disability. The Community Based Services department provides one-to-one and/or group support to children and adults with disabilities and their families through a variety of programs.
Pathways Serious Mental Illness Society offers programs to anyone in the Lower Mainland and the Sea to Sky, with help over the phone to others who call regardless of where they live. Family Support Centre provides personal support and information on major mental illnesses — schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, borderline personality disorder, concurrent disorders, and anxiety disorders.
A new project that allows Indigenous patients across BC to anonymously report their positive and negative healthcare experiences, with the first pilot being focused on the experiences of racism in healthcare. The B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC), whose website hosts the app, aims to use the information to figure out patterns of racist incidents in the health-care sector, and present solutions on how to address these issues with policymakers.