Mental Health Resources

CDC has concise explanations about what mental health is, and why it matters. They collect a variety of data, especially from a public health viewpoint. CDC also offers a short mental health quiz, focusing more on demystifying and debunking myths, than on diagnosing potential illnesses.

Sponsored by the National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus is the premier resource for consumer-health related information. They have an entire “health topics” section devoted to mental health and behavior topics. Each of the dozens of diseases and conditions have a variety of authoritative articles (many articles are also available in Spanish or other languages, or as easy-to-read materials).

The National Center for PTSD operates out of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition to general PTSD information and treatment options, the National Center for PTSD is also home to the PTSDpubs article database (formerly PILOTS), the PTSD Trials Standardized Data Repository of Clinical Trials, as well as numerous mobile apps to designed assist with treatment and self-help.

NIH is composed of 27 institutes and centers that each have specific research specialties. While there are several institutes that focus on mental health specifically, NIH also produces resources to assist people suffering from mental health issues. They publish a monthly newsletter, NIH News in Health, that frequently contains mental health-related articles, and they also produce wellness toolkits that provide practical, concrete strategies for improving one’s well-being.

As the primary federal agency conducting research on mental disorders, NIMH (part of the NIH), is committed to improving the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses. Information is available about research funded by NIMH, obtaining funding for research, as well as participating in clinical trials. NIMH also is home to numerous fact sheets, topic summaries, and statistics.

As part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Office on Women’s Health seeks to provide leadership at the national level to improve the health and lives of women and girls. While their focus is on all aspects of women’s health, website has robust resources and articles about mental health issues and how they relate to other women’s health issues.

This U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency leads public health efforts to improve behavioral health in the United States. They administer grants, provide training for mental health practitioners, and run programs like the evidenced-based practice resource center. SAMHSA also collects statistics, primarily focusing on the prevalence of substance abuse and mental illness across the country.