Mental health is an undeniably important matter, yet most people don’t have access to the resources they need when they need help. At Social Work License Map, we have compiled a comprehensive list of resources for anyone seeking information about and/or help for a range of mental health issues.
Our list spans diagnostic tools, research portals, government organizations, nonprofits, blogs, and phone hotlines devoted to addressing issues ranging from general mental illnesses and disorders such as autism, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse, to the specific needs of diverse populations, including LGBTQ youth, minorities, women, and veterans. Take a look at these resources, and we hope you find our list helpful!
Organizations
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General
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
The National Association of Mental Illness is the largest nationwide mental health advocacy grassroots organization with hundreds of state organizations, affiliates and volunteers. It is a hub for support groups, free education, raising awareness and building community.
This nonprofit provides community-based mental health services to adults, especially those suffering medical, social or substance-related comorbidities.
American Psychiatry Association
The American Psychiatry Association is the largest professional membership organization of psychiatrists in the world. The APA website hosts “Let’s Talk Facts” brochures on a range of illnesses, professional resources for psychiatrists, psychiatric residents and medical students. It publishes up-to-date news, research, government policies and developments in psychiatry.
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Government
This is the National Institutes of Health’s collection of resources from the National Library of Medicine. It includes information about conditions, treatments, patients, families and friends, latest research, drugs and supplements, terminology and definitions, videos, illustrations and clinical trials.
World Health Organization (WHO) — Project Atlas
The World Health Organization’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse has a Project Atlas, which compiles resources and information about mental health and neurology policies, prevalence, statistics, medicines, professionals, information systems and publications. Topics covered include mental health in emergencies, maternal and child mental health, neurology and public health, disorders management and suicide prevention. Information can be searched by region, country or worldwide.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Mental Health
This website, run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides government information about mental health taken from the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, Medline Plus, FindYouthInfo.gov and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The information is for the general public, health care providers, policymakers, schools and communities.
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Populations
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) — LGBTQ
The National Alliance on Mental Illness GLBT resources page contains articles, videos, publications, research and links to prominent organizations about GLBT mental health.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — LGBT Youth
The Centers for Disease Control maintains a section about LGBT youth health issues.
The GLBT National Help Center provides an online peer-support chat as well as free, confidential counseling over the phone for the GLBT community.
The GLBT National Help Center runs this website, which contains more than 15,000 GLBT resources and offers tools for users to find local community centers, youth groups and support resources.
The creators of the Oscar-winning short film “Trevor” founded The Trevor Project. The organization provides suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ youth between the ages of 13 and 24.
American Psychological Association — Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
The American Psychological Association’s Help Center on Sexual Orientation’s website provides research and information on mental health issues surrounding sexual orientation.
MILITARY/VETERANS
U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) — Mental Health
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website hosts screening tools, a veterans crisis line and a guide to mental health conditions that often plague veterans.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) — Veterans and Active Duty
The National Association on Mental Illness has a Veterans & Military Resource Center, which is home to online discussion groups, information about veteran mental illnesses and treatments. It includes information about advocacy for active-duty members, returning veterans, veteran families, veterans in recovery, veterans looking for work, mental health providers, college faculty members and women veterans.
MindWise — Military and Family Screenings
Military Pathways is a site created by Screening for Mental Health and the Department of Defense that allows military members and their families to take free, anonymous mental health or alcohol self-assessments. Completion of the assessment directs users to referral information for Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs services.
MINORITY
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Office of Minority Health
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health website provides statistics, news and treatment information.
SENIORS
National Institute on Aging — Health Information
The National Institutes of Health provides this online index of information, videos and training tools about senior health, including mental health and wellness.
National Council on Aging — Behavioral Health
The National Council on Aging promotes programs that help seniors cope with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, addiction and more.
WOMEN
Office on Women’s Health — Mental Health Resources
The Office on Women’s Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides access to research, publications, Surgeon General Reports and general information for women’s mental health issues. This includes problems related to pregnancy and conception, menstruation, menopause, women veterans, suicide prevention and mental illnesses.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) — Women and Mental Health
The National Institutes of Health’s Women and Mental Health index contains information, research and publications about women’s mental health.
World Health Organization (WHO) — Gender and Women’s Mental Health
The World Health Organization website contains a section on global mental health as it relates to issues of gender and gender disparity.
YOUTH, TEENS, SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Mental Health in Adolescents
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health offers information about adolescent mental health across states, adolescent mental health disorders and access to care.
The Jed Foundation is an organization committed to the mental and emotional health of college students and preventing suicide among this population. The foundation runs several free online self-assessment and resource programs for students and campuses. It offers training tools for campus professionals to improve their mental health services for students.
U.S. Government — Youth Mental Health
This is a hub of government information about youth mental health issues, including substance abuse, LGBT issues, bullying and homelessness.
A project of the Jed Foundation that provides a free, confidential online resource about emotional health to more than 1,500 colleges and universities.
LawLifeline is a combined project of the Jed Foundation and Dave Nee Foundation. It is a free, anonymous and confidential online resource for law school students to seek out information about depression, anxiety, suicide, stress and self-harm.
UCLA — Center for Mental Health in Schools and Student Learning Support
The UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools created the School Mental Health Project, an online collection of tools, research, publications and resources for school practitioners and professionals.
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Disorders
ANXIETY, OCD, PTSD AND DEPRESSION
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) – Online Resources
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America raises public and professional awareness, promotes research advancement and provides referrals for children and adults with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorders and related disorders. The website provides information about these conditions, their treatment and resources for professionals.
This is the website of the nonprofit advocacy organization Freedom from Fear. It contains a wealth of research-based information and treatment referrals for anxiety and depression.
AUTISM/ASPERGER’S
Autism Speaks is a prominent autism research and advocacy organization. The website contains links to apps, tool kits and a resource guide for families and individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
The Autism NOW Center is a resource for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families. The Center’s resources include fact sheets, webinars, a newsletter and a call center. It focuses on the topics of early detection, intervention, education, transition, aging, community inclusion, long-term care and health care reform.
BIPOLAR
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance is a national peer-led organization run by individuals with depression and bipolar disorder. It provides support groups, peer specialist training, wellness tools, research, podcasts, brochures, publications and information for clinicians.
EATING DISORDERS
National Eating Disorders Association
The National Eating Disorders Association is a nonprofit supporting people with eating disorders and their families. It provides an information and referral helpline, extensive information about eating disorder prevention, treatment and recovery, as well as handouts and toolkits for parents, coaches and educators, and forums for discussion and stories of recovery. The website is also available in Spanish.
An online community for teens that encourages healthy body image.
SCHIZOPHRENIA
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation awards grants to scientists conducting research on causes and treatments of mental disorders in children and adults. This includes schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress, attention-deficit hyperactivity and autism.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency on behavioral health, runs several mental health campaigns and has information on health reform for providers, families and individuals. SAMHSA also has a helpful online behavioral treatment services locator.
Additional Resources
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Diagnostic
American Psychiatric Association — DSM-5
The website of the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) provides complementary information to its print edition about the classification, assessment, symptoms and treatment of mental disorders.
The Mayo Clinic, the largest medical practice and research group in the world, provides reliable physician-backed information about mental illness definitions, causes, symptoms, prevention, treatment and support.
MindWise Mental Health Screenings
MindWise offers screenings for mental health concerns, providing military members and their families to take free, anonymous mental health or alcohol self-assessments.
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Getting Help
This is SAMHSA’s behavioral treatment services locator.
Half of Us is a project by mtvU and the Jed Foundation that encourages public dialogue about youth mental health issues and refers high school and college students to resources where they can find help.
Psychology Today — Find a Therapist
The Find a Therapist service from Psychology Today helps users find mental health professionals in their area.
American Psychological Association — Psychology Help Center
The American Psychological Association’s Help Center contains a Find a Psychologist directory and help resources in the areas of work and school, family and relationships, health and emotional wellness, disasters and terrorism, and managed care and health insurance.
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Support
Mental Health America is a community-based network with 240 nationwide affiliates that provide services such as counseling referrals, support and finding housing for the homeless.
National Council for Behavioral Health
The National Council for Behavioral Health is a collective of more than 2,000 member mental health and substance abuse treatment organizations. The National Council is known for creating Mental Health First Aid, a public education initiative consisting of an eight-hour course that provides participants with a crash course in understanding mental illness risk factors, impacts and treatments. It is aimed at increasing early detection and intervention.
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Hotlines
UCLA — Center for Mental Health in Schools and Student Learning Support – Hotlines
UCLA’s School Mental Health Project compiled a list of hotlines that are useful for school practitioners.
Sexual assault prevention and awareness organization Safe Horizon provides a hotline for domestic violence victims, sexual assault victims and crime victims to receive 24/7 free crisis counseling and safety planning.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
This is a confidential, toll-free, 24-hour suicide prevention hotline. Call 1-800-273-TALK to receive counseling and local referrals.
A list of hotlines for teens facing issues ranging from bullying and abuse to drugs and eating disorders.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides 24/7 counseling and support to victims of domestic violence and abuse at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
The Veterans Crisis Line provides confidential help for veterans and their families at 1-800-273-8255.
Further Reading
General Information
PsychCentral is an extensive annotated directory of mental health resources, including general information, as well as blogs, online communities, support groups, articles, quizzes and books.
American Psychological Association
This is the official website of the American Psychological Association, the largest professional psychology association in the country. It’s made up of more than 130,000 clinicians, researchers, consultants, educators and students.
American Psychiatric Association
This is the official website of the American Psychiatric Association, the largest psychiatric organization in the world. It’s made up of more than 35,000 member psychiatrists.
About — Mental Health Resources
About.com maintains a robust collection of articles about mental health topics.
U.S. Government — Mental Health and Substance Abuse Resources
This is the mental health page of the U.S. government’s web portal for federal resources and information.
This is the website of Psychology Today magazine. The magazine covers a range of topics in psychology authored by experts in the field.
Blogs
National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) Blogs
NAMI shares insight from mental health professionals on a wide array of topics. From mental illness in children to defeating stigmas, these blog posts offer education, suggestions, and real life stories on living with mental illness.
PsychCentral — Mental Health Blogs
PsychCentral maintains an extensive collection of mental health blogs. These are subject to community ratings.
Psychology Today – Blog Directory
Psychology Today offers a directory of blogs run by mental health professionals and experts in a range of specialty areas.
This list was last updated in January 2020. For the most up-to-date information for each resource, please refer to their website for more.
Original source: https://socialworklicensemap.com/social-work-resources/mental-health-resources-list/