The Library
Resources
Expert knowledge on mental health conditions and the topics around them. Read them in any order. Send them to someone. Take your time.
Showing 207 articles · Page 1 of 21
Conditions · Mood
Depression — NIMH plain-language overview
Symptoms, types, treatments, and what current evidence supports — written for the general public by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.
12 min read
Conditions · Anxiety
Anxiety disorders — NIMH overview
Generalized anxiety, panic, social anxiety, and phobias: what they are, how they differ, and what works.
10 min read
Conditions · Mood
Bipolar disorder — NIMH overview
Bipolar I, II, and cyclothymia: the diagnostic distinctions, the mood-episode shapes, and the treatment scaffolding that holds them.
10 min read
Conditions · Neurodevelopmental
ADHD — NIMH overview
Childhood and adult ADHD, the diagnostic process, and what current treatment guidelines recommend.
10 min read
Conditions · Psychotic
Schizophrenia — NIMH overview
What schizophrenia is, what it isn't, and what current treatment looks like in 2025.
11 min read
Conditions · Anxiety
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder — NIMH overview
What OCD is, how it presents beyond the stereotypes, and why exposure-based therapy is the first-line treatment.
8 min read
Conditions · Trauma
PTSD — NIMH overview
Post-traumatic stress disorder beyond combat: how it forms, how it presents, and what treatments are best evidenced.
9 min read
Conditions · Eating
Eating disorders — NIMH overview
Anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and ARFID: the diagnostic distinctions and what evidence-based treatment looks like.
9 min read
Crisis · Suicide Prevention
Suicide prevention — NIMH topic page
Warning signs, risk factors, what works in prevention, and how to support someone who is struggling.
10 min read
Crisis · Suicide Prevention
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The U.S. federal 24/7 crisis line — call or text 988, chat at 988lifeline.org.
3 min read
Care Navigation · United States
SAMHSA National Helpline — treatment referral, not crisis
Free, confidential, 24/7 information and referral for mental health and substance use treatment.
3 min read
Care Navigation · United States
FindTreatment.gov — the federal treatment locator
Search by ZIP code for licensed mental health and substance use treatment providers.
3 min read
Self-Help · United Kingdom
NHS Every Mind Matters
Free, NHS-run mental health self-help including a personalised Mind Plan, sleep, anxiety, and low-mood resources.
5 min read
Conditions · United Kingdom
Mind UK — A-Z of mental health problems
Mind's UK-focused condition library, written in plain English with rights and treatment information.
varies read
Crisis · United Kingdom & Ireland
Samaritans — 24/7 emotional support in the UK and Ireland
Free helpline (116 123), email, and in-person branches across the UK and Ireland.
3 min read
Crisis · Australia
Lifeline Australia — 13 11 14
24/7 Australian crisis support and suicide prevention.
3 min read
Crisis · New Zealand
1737 Need to talk? (New Zealand)
Free call or text to 1737 to reach a trained counsellor in Aotearoa New Zealand.
3 min read
Crisis · Worldwide
Befrienders Worldwide — find a crisis line in your country
A searchable directory of more than 300 emotional-support helplines across 32 countries.
3 min read
Global Health · Worldwide
WHO — Mental disorders fact sheet
The World Health Organization's standing summary of prevalence, treatment, and policy on mental disorders globally.
8 min read
Crisis · Worldwide
WHO — Suicide fact sheet
Global suicide statistics, risk factors, and what works in national-level prevention.
7 min read
Crisis · LGBTQ+ Youth
The Trevor Project — crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people
24/7 call, text, and chat for LGBTQ+ people under 25 in the U.S.
3 min read
Crisis · Trans Community
Trans Lifeline — peer support by and for trans people
U.S./Canada peer support hotline staffed entirely by trans operators.
3 min read
Crisis · Multi-country
Crisis Text Line — text-based crisis support
Free, 24/7 text-based crisis support in the U.S., UK, Ireland, and Canada.
3 min read
Conditions · Perinatal
Postpartum Support International
Helpline, provider directory, and support groups for perinatal mental health.
4 min read
Conditions · United States
NAMI — Mental Health Conditions library
Plain-language overviews of every major condition, written for patients and families.
varies read
Care Navigation · United States
NAMI — Family Members and Caregivers
How to support someone in your life living with a mental health condition without losing yourself in the process.
10 min read
Conditions · OCD
International OCD Foundation
The standard U.S. provider directory and explainer library for OCD and related disorders.
5 min read
Conditions · Eating
National Alliance for Eating Disorders
Helpline, treatment directory, and free support groups for U.S. eating disorder care.
5 min read
Conditions · Anxiety
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
Patient-facing education, a clinician directory, and self-screening tools for anxiety, depression, and OCD.
5 min read
Conditions · ADHD
CHADD — Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
The U.S. patient-advocacy organisation for ADHD across the lifespan.
5 min read
Crisis · Suicide Prevention
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Suicide prevention research, public-education programs, and survivor-of-loss resources.
5 min read
Conditions · Mood
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Peer-led support groups and education for people living with mood disorders.
5 min read
Conditions · Trauma
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — National Center for PTSD
The most comprehensive evidence-based PTSD resource in the U.S., open to everyone — not just veterans.
8 min read
Public Health · United States
CDC — Mental Health hub
U.S. national mental health surveillance data, prevention frameworks, and public health resources.
6 min read
Conditions · Personality
Borderline personality disorder — NIMH overview
What BPD is, what current treatment looks like, and why the prognosis is better than the stigma suggests.
9 min read
Conditions · Mood
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder — IAPMD overview
PMDD beyond 'bad PMS': what it is, how it is diagnosed, and what treatments work.
8 min read
Conditions · Anxiety
Panic disorder — NIMH overview
Panic attacks, panic disorder, and the cognitive-behavioral treatments with the strongest evidence.
7 min read
Conditions · Anxiety
Social anxiety disorder — NIMH overview
Beyond shyness: what social anxiety disorder is, how it differs from introversion, and what helps.
7 min read
Conditions · Anxiety
Generalized anxiety disorder — NIMH overview
GAD distinguished from everyday worry, and the treatments that change its course.
7 min read
Conditions · Neurodevelopmental
Autism spectrum disorder — NIMH overview
ASD across the lifespan: how it is identified, how it co-occurs with mental health conditions, and what support looks like.
10 min read
Conditions · Trauma
Dissociative disorders — Mind UK overview
Dissociation, depersonalization, derealization, and dissociative identity: what they are and what helps.
9 min read
Conditions · OCD
Body dysmorphic disorder — IOCDF overview
BDD: persistent preoccupation with perceived flaws in appearance, and the evidence-based treatments that help.
7 min read
Conditions · OCD
Hoarding disorder — IOCDF overview
Hoarding as a distinct condition, with its own diagnostic frame and treatment evidence.
7 min read
Conditions · OCD
Trichotillomania and body-focused repetitive behaviors — TLC Foundation
Hair-pulling, skin-picking, and related BFRBs: what they are and what helps.
6 min read
Conditions · Substance Use
Substance use disorders — SAMHSA overview
What substance use disorders are, how they are diagnosed, and the treatments with the strongest evidence.
9 min read
Conditions · Substance Use
Alcohol use disorder — NIAAA overview
AUD on a spectrum, the medications most clinicians do not prescribe, and how to find help.
9 min read
Conditions · Substance Use
Opioid use disorder — NIDA overview
OUD, medications for opioid use disorder, and why MOUD remains the standard of care.
9 min read
Conditions · Trauma
Complex PTSD — PTSD UK overview
C-PTSD: how it differs from PTSD, where the ICD-11 diagnosis came from, and what treatment looks like.
8 min read
Conditions · Mood
Seasonal affective disorder — NIMH overview
SAD as a recurrent pattern of depression, and the role of light therapy, CBT, and medication.
6 min read
Conditions · Mood
Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) — Mind UK overview
Chronic low-grade depression: what it looks like, why it is often missed, and what treatment can do.
6 min read
Conditions · Behavioral
Problem gambling — National Council on Problem Gambling
Gambling disorder as a recognized behavioral addiction, with a national helpline and treatment directory.
5 min read
Conditions · Psychotic
Schizoaffective disorder — NAMI overview
A condition with features of both schizophrenia and a mood disorder — and what makes it distinct.
7 min read
Conditions · Neurodevelopmental
Tourette syndrome — Tourette Association of America
TS as a neurological condition with strong mental health comorbidity, and the behavioral treatments that help.
6 min read
Conditions · Sleep
Insomnia disorder — Sleep Foundation overview
Insomnia distinguished from poor sleep, and why CBT-I is first-line.
7 min read
Conditions · Perinatal
Postpartum psychosis — Action on Postpartum Psychosis
A rare, serious, medical emergency in the weeks after birth — and the support network for women and families who have been through it.
6 min read
Conditions · Eating
Binge eating disorder — Alliance for Eating Disorders
BED as the most common eating disorder in the U.S., and the treatments most people are never offered.
7 min read
Conditions · Eating
ARFID — Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
ARFID distinguished from picky eating and anorexia, and the treatments that are emerging.
6 min read
Conditions · Grief
Grief — what's normal, what's complicated, and where to find help
Grief, prolonged grief disorder, and the resources that exist for both.
7 min read
Conditions · Occupational
Burnout — WHO classification and what to do about it
Burnout as an occupational phenomenon, distinct from depression — and how to think about treatment.
6 min read
Care Navigation · United States
NAMI HelpLine — information, referrals, and emotional support
Free national helpline staffed by trained NAMI specialists, by phone, text, chat, and email.
3 min read
Care Navigation · North America
211 — community resource line for the U.S. and Canada
Dial 2-1-1 to reach trained community resource specialists who can connect you to local services.
3 min read
Crisis · Sexual Violence
RAINN — sexual assault hotline and resources
24/7 confidential support for survivors of sexual violence, by phone, chat, and Spanish-language line.
3 min read
Crisis · Domestic Violence
National Domestic Violence Hotline
24/7 confidential support for people experiencing relationship abuse, with safety planning and referrals.
3 min read
Crisis · Communities of Color
Blackline — peer support for Black, Black LGBTQ+, brown, Native, and Muslim callers
A non-carceral crisis and peer-support line centering communities most harmed by traditional emergency response.
3 min read
Care Navigation · United States
Therapy for Black Girls — clinician directory and community
A searchable directory of licensed Black women therapists across the U.S., plus a popular podcast and community.
4 min read
Care Navigation · United States
Therapy for Black Men — directory and resources
A searchable directory of Black male therapists and life coaches, with a focus on culturally affirming care.
4 min read
Care Navigation · United States
Asian Mental Health Collective
A pan-Asian directory of therapists, support groups, and culturally specific mental health resources.
4 min read
Care Navigation · United States
Latinx Therapy — bilingual mental health directory and podcast
A directory of Latinx therapists, many bilingual in Spanish and English, plus an extensive Spanish-language podcast.
4 min read
Care Navigation · United States
Inclusive Therapists — directory built around social justice and identity
A therapist directory that centers BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and other marginalized communities.
4 min read
Care Navigation · United States
Open Path Psychotherapy Collective — affordable therapy
A nonprofit network of therapists offering in-office and online sessions at $40-$80 per session, plus student-rate options.
4 min read
Care Navigation · International
Psychology Today — therapist directory
The largest mental health provider directory in the world, with verification of licensure.
4 min read
Crisis · Disasters
SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline
24/7 crisis support for emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
3 min read
Support · Substance Use
SMART Recovery — secular, evidence-based addiction support
A non-religious, CBT-grounded alternative to 12-step programs for substance and behavioral addictions.
4 min read
Support · Substance Use
Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous
The world's largest peer-support fellowships for alcohol and drug recovery — free, anonymous, available almost everywhere.
4 min read
Support · Families
Al-Anon and Nar-Anon — support for families of people with addiction
Free peer-support groups for adult family members and friends of people with alcohol or drug problems.
4 min read
Self-Help · United States
Mental Health America — screening tools and information
Free, validated mental health screening tools and a sprawling library of plain-language information.
5 min read
Self-Help · Young Adults
JED Foundation — mental health for teens and young adults
Programs, resources, and crisis support specifically built for adolescents and emerging adults.
5 min read
Self-Help · Young Adults
Active Minds — peer-led mental health awareness for students
A national network of student-led mental health chapters across U.S. schools and campuses.
4 min read
Self-Help · Men's Health
Movember — men's mental health and suicide prevention
Global programs and resources for men's mental health, including peer-support training (ALEC).
4 min read
Self-Help · International
HelpGuide — free mental health and wellness library
A long-running, ad-free, plain-English library of mental health and wellness articles.
5 min read
Research · United States
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
An independent funder of mental health research with a public-facing science library.
5 min read
Crisis · Worldwide
International Association for Suicide Prevention
A global directory of crisis lines and suicide prevention resources, plus World Suicide Prevention Day.
4 min read
Self-Help · United States
MentalHealth.gov — federal mental health portal
The U.S. federal entry-point for mental health information, with links into the major federal resources.
4 min read
Conditions · Mood
Bipolar I, II, and cyclothymia — what the distinctions actually mean
DBSA's plain-language breakdown of the bipolar spectrum, written by and for people who live with it.
8 min read
Conditions · Mood
Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) — the quiet, durable kind
What it means when low mood stops feeling like an episode and starts feeling like weather.
7 min read
Conditions · Mood
Seasonal affective disorder — NIMH overview
Why depression that arrives with the dark months is a distinct pattern, and what the evidence actually says about light therapy.
6 min read
Conditions · Mood
PMDD — premenstrual dysphoric disorder, by the people who study it
IAPMD's overview of a hormone-sensitive mood condition that is widely under-recognized and frequently misdiagnosed.
8 min read
Conditions · Perinatal
Perimenopause, menopause, and mental health
The Menopause Society on the mood, sleep, and cognitive changes of the menopausal transition — and what helps.
9 min read
Conditions · Perinatal
Postpartum psychosis — a medical emergency, not 'baby blues'
Postpartum Support International's primer on the rarest and most acute of the perinatal mood conditions.
7 min read
Conditions · Psychotic
Schizoaffective disorder — at the seam of psychosis and mood
NAMI on a diagnosis that is often missed, often contested, and often treated as a moving target.
7 min read
Conditions · Trauma
Dissociative disorders — the ISSTD public overview
What dissociation is, what it isn't, and how clinicians who specialize in it think about treatment.
10 min read
Conditions · Trauma
Functional neurological disorder — neurology's interface with mental health
FND Society's plain-language overview of a condition that crosses the neuro/psych boundary and is poorly served by it.
9 min read
Conditions · OCD
Body dysmorphic disorder — IOCDF overview
BDD is in the OCD family, not the eating-disorder family, and the treatment implications are real.
7 min read
Conditions · OCD
Hoarding disorder — IOCDF overview
A condition that is widely caricatured, frequently criminalized, and rarely treated well.
8 min read
Conditions · Neurodevelopmental
Tic disorders and Tourette syndrome
The Tourette Association's overview of a neurodevelopmental condition that is often diagnosed late and treated reflexively.
8 min read
Conditions · Neurodevelopmental
Autism in adults — AANE on the late-recognized presentation
What autism looks like in adults, why it is so often missed, and what an evaluation actually involves.
10 min read
Conditions · Anxiety
Selective mutism — AACAP family-facing guide
An anxiety disorder of childhood in which a child reliably speaks in some settings and not in others — and is often mistaken for defiance or shyness.
6 min read
Conditions · Mood
Adjustment disorders — when the situation is the diagnosis
A short, time-bound diagnosis for distress that is proportional to a real stressor but disabling in scale.
6 min read
Conditions · Trauma
Complex PTSD — the prolonged-trauma presentation
PTSD UK's plain-language explainer on CPTSD, the ICD-11 diagnosis for trauma that is sustained and inescapable.
9 min read
Crisis · Suicide Prevention
Self-harm and non-suicidal self-injury
Cornell's Self-Injury and Recovery Resources project on what NSSI is, what it is not, and what helps.
10 min read
Crisis · Suicide Prevention
Suicide as a condition — understanding suicidality itself
AFSP's overview of suicide risk, warning signs, and what we actually know about prevention.
8 min read
Conditions · United States
Gender dysphoria and gender-affirming care
WPATH's Standards of Care v8 — the international clinical consensus on gender-affirming care across the lifespan.
12 min read
Conditions · United States
Chronic pain and mental health
The International Association for the Study of Pain on the bidirectional relationship between chronic pain and depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
9 min read
Conditions · United States
Long COVID — cognitive and mental health effects
CDC's overview of the neurological and mental health dimensions of long COVID, including 'brain fog' and post-infectious depression.
7 min read
Conditions · Mood
Late-life depression and dementia-adjacent mental health
The Alzheimer's Association on the overlap between depression, mild cognitive impairment, and the dementias — and why distinguishing them matters.
9 min read
Support · Families
Caregiver burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma
Family Caregiver Alliance on the mental health toll of caring for someone with a chronic illness — and what actually helps.
8 min read
Conditions · Behavioral
Behavioral addictions — gambling, gaming, and compulsive sexual behavior
The National Council on Problem Gambling on the addiction patterns that don't involve a substance.
8 min read
Treatments · Therapies
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — what it is and what it is not
The American Psychological Association on the most-studied psychotherapy in the world, in plain language.
6 min read
Treatments · Therapies
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) — the standard explainer
Behavioral Tech, the training organization founded by DBT's developer Marsha Linehan, on what DBT actually involves.
7 min read
Treatments · Therapies
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
The Association for Contextual Behavioral Science on a therapy organized around values and psychological flexibility rather than symptom reduction.
7 min read
Treatments · Therapies
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy
The IFS Institute on a model that treats the mind as a system of parts — and the evidence base behind it.
7 min read
Treatments · Therapies
EMDR — eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
EMDRIA's overview of a structured trauma therapy that the WHO and APA both list among first-line PTSD treatments.
7 min read
Treatments · Therapies
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) — the first-line OCD therapy
Why generic talk therapy can make OCD worse, and what the alternative actually involves.
6 min read
Treatments · Therapies
Psychodynamic therapy — and the evidence often left out of the conversation
A clean overview of the modern psychodynamic tradition, and what randomized trials actually show.
7 min read
Treatments · Therapies
Somatic experiencing and other body-based trauma therapies
The Somatic Experiencing International overview, plus honest caveats about an evidence base that is growing but uneven.
6 min read
Treatments · Therapies
Group therapy — what it is good for, and what it isn't
The American Group Psychotherapy Association on a modality that is consistently undersold and often more effective than people expect.
6 min read
Treatments · Therapies
Family and couples therapy
AAMFT on the systems-oriented therapies that treat the relationship as the patient.
6 min read
Treatments · Therapies
Peer support — recovery alongside someone who's been there
SAMHSA on peer-support specialists and the evidence behind a recovery role that sits alongside, not under, clinical care.
6 min read
Treatments · Therapies
What 'evidence-based therapy' actually means
Cochrane's plain-language explainers on systematic reviews — the tool that decides what 'works.'
8 min read
Find Care · Therapists
How to find a therapist (and decode the credentials)
APA's guidance on choosing a therapist, plus what the alphabet soup of LCSW, LMFT, LMHC, PsyD, PhD, and MD actually means.
8 min read
Find Care · Affordability
Sliding-scale and low-cost therapy networks
Open Path Collective and the other major networks that exist specifically to make therapy affordable.
6 min read
Find Care · Identity
Identity-affirming therapist directories
Therapist directories built specifically for Black, brown, queer, trans, and disabled clients seeking culturally competent care.
5 min read
Find Care · Insurance
Mental health parity rights, and how to appeal an insurance denial
U.S. Department of Labor on the rights granted by federal parity law — and the steps an appeal actually takes.
9 min read
Find Care · Telehealth
Telehealth therapy — what is good about it, and what to watch for
The American Telemedicine Association on how to evaluate a telehealth mental health provider.
6 min read
Find Care · Hospitalization
Psychiatric hospitalization — voluntary, involuntary, and your rights
Treatment Advocacy Center on the laws governing inpatient psychiatric care in the U.S., and what to expect on the ward.
10 min read
Find Care · Crisis Planning
The Stanley-Brown Safety Plan
The evidence-based safety-planning template, free to download, that hospitals and crisis services use after a suicidal episode.
6 min read
For Loved Ones · Families
NAMI Family-to-Family — the free 8-session program for relatives
The most widely-used family-education curriculum for serious mental illness, taught by family members who've lived it.
5 min read
For Loved Ones · Conversations
How to support someone in a depressive, manic, or psychotic episode
NAMI's practical guidance on the conversations that frighten people most.
9 min read
For Loved Ones · Suicide
After a suicide attempt — what to say, and what not to
AFSP and Lifeline's guidance for families and friends in the days and weeks following an attempt.
7 min read
For Loved Ones · Teens
Supporting a teen who is struggling
The JED Foundation on the conversations, the warning signs, and the boundary between watchful presence and active intervention.
8 min read
For Loved Ones · Partners
Supporting a partner with a chronic mental illness
DBSA on the long-relationship version of caregiving — and the version where the caregiver also needs care.
7 min read
For Loved Ones · Crisis
When to call for help — and how
SAMHSA's overview of the U.S. crisis continuum: 988, mobile crisis, crisis stabilization, and the alternatives to calling 911.
7 min read
Identity · BIPOC
BIPOC mental health — Mental Health America's hub
Why mental health outcomes diverge along racial and ethnic lines, and the community-rooted organizations doing the work in response.
8 min read
Identity · LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+ mental health — The Trevor Project research and care
The largest dedicated LGBTQ+ youth mental health organization in the U.S., with annual research that grounds the conversation in data.
9 min read
Identity · LGBTQ+
Trans-specific mental health and crisis care
Trans Lifeline and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health on care designed by and for trans communities.
7 min read
Identity · Immigrant & Refugee
Immigrant and refugee mental health
The Center for Victims of Torture and the Refugee Health Technical Assistance Center on a population whose distress is rarely captured by ordinary screening.
9 min read
Identity · Faith
Faith communities and mental health
Mental Health Ministries and the interfaith hubs that work to make congregations places of refuge rather than further stigma.
7 min read
Identity · Neurodivergent
Neurodivergent adults — ASAN's resource library
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network on autism, ADHD, and the broader neurodiversity movement, written by neurodivergent adults themselves.
8 min read
Identity · Veterans
Veterans and military families — VA Mental Health
The Department of Veterans Affairs' mental health portal, plus the Veterans Crisis Line and Make the Connection.
8 min read
Identity · Disability
Disability community and mental health
The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund on the intersection of disability and mental health — including the right to refuse treatment, supported decision-making, and Olmstead enforcement.
9 min read
Life Stages · Children
Mental health in children under 12
AACAP's Facts for Families — short, free, clinician-written guides on the conditions that most often present in childhood.
5 min read
Life Stages · Teens
Teen mental health — the JED Foundation hub
JED's resource center for teens and the adults in their lives, organized around the situations adolescence actually produces.
7 min read
Life Stages · College
College and emerging adulthood
Active Minds, the largest college mental health network, on the transition years that produce the highest first-onset rates of psychiatric conditions.
7 min read
Life Stages · New Parents
New parents — the perinatal mental health spectrum
Postpartum Support International on the mood, anxiety, and OCD conditions that affect roughly one in five new parents.
8 min read
Life Stages · Midlife
Midlife mental health and the menopausal transition
A short reading list on the cluster of mood, sleep, and cognitive changes that the perimenopause window often brings — including for people who don't identify as women.
6 min read
Life Stages · Older Adults
Older adult mental health
The National Council on Aging on the conditions that are most often missed in older adults — and the help that exists when they aren't.
7 min read
Life Stages · End of Life
End-of-life and anticipatory grief
Get Palliative Care and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization on the mental health dimensions of serious illness and dying.
8 min read
Body & Mind · Sleep
Sleep and mental health
CDC's sleep hub and the AASM consumer site on a variable that affects almost every psychiatric condition in both directions.
6 min read
Body & Mind · Exercise
Exercise and mental health — what the evidence actually supports
A careful read of the depression and anxiety evidence base for physical activity, beyond the 'just go for a run' platitude.
7 min read
Body & Mind · Nutrition
Nutrition and mental health — the honest version
Harvard Health on what nutritional psychiatry actually supports — and what it doesn't, despite confident marketing.
6 min read
Body & Mind · Gut–Brain
The gut–brain axis, in plain language
An APA Monitor overview of what the gut–brain research actually shows — and where consumer marketing has gotten ahead of the science.
7 min read
Body & Mind · Chronic Illness
Living with chronic illness — the mental health overlay
The U.S. Pain Foundation and Mental Health America on the bidirectional relationship between chronic illness and mental health.
7 min read
Body & Mind · Substance Use
Co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions
SAMHSA on why integrated treatment outperforms sequential treatment when both are present at once.
7 min read
Daily Practices · Journaling
Journaling — expressive writing as a small evidence-backed practice
The University of Rochester Medical Center on a deceptively simple practice with a surprisingly durable research base.
5 min read
Daily Practices · Breathwork
Breathwork — what the evidence actually supports
Harvard Health on the breathing practices that have real autonomic effects, separated from the ones that don't.
5 min read
Daily Practices · Grounding
Grounding techniques for distress and dissociation
The VA's PTSD Coach and Sidran Institute on the brief sensory techniques that interrupt overwhelm in the moment.
5 min read
Daily Practices · Behavioral Activation
Behavioral activation — the small-actions intervention for depression
The Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress on the deceptively simple, well-evidenced behavioral therapy for depression.
6 min read
Daily Practices · Sleep Hygiene
Sleep hygiene — the basics, and when they aren't enough
AASM's sleep hygiene basics, plus a flag for when to ask about CBT-I or a sleep evaluation instead.
5 min read
Daily Practices · Values
Values clarification — a short ACT-based practice
A free values-card-sort exercise from the ACT tradition, useful when 'what do I actually want' is the question under everything.
5 min read
Digital Life · Social Media
Social media and youth mental health — the Surgeon General's advisory
The official 2023 Office of the Surgeon General advisory on social media's effects on adolescent mental health.
11 min read
Digital Life · Screens
Screens, phones, and family life
Common Sense Media on the practical question of how to live with screens, more than the moral question of whether to.
7 min read
Digital Life · Gaming
Gaming, problem gaming, and gaming disorder
What is and isn't supported by the ICD-11 gaming disorder diagnosis, in plain language.
7 min read
Digital Life · AI
AI chatbots and mental health — the real risks
The Consumer Federation of America's coalition complaint on AI chatbots posing as therapists, and what to know before using one.
8 min read
Grief · After a Death
Grief after a death — the Dougy Center library
One of the oldest grief-support organizations in the U.S., with free written and video resources for every relationship and age.
7 min read
Grief · Pregnancy & Infertility
Pregnancy loss, infertility, and reproductive grief
SHARE and RESOLVE on the forms of grief that are routinely under-recognized by the people around them.
7 min read
Grief · Living Losses
Divorce, estrangement, and other living losses
Stanford Lifeworks and Together Estranged on the grief of losses where the person is still alive.
6 min read
Grief · Climate
Climate grief and eco-anxiety
The Climate Psychiatry Alliance on the mental health dimensions of living through climate change.
7 min read
Lexicon · Glossary
A glossary of mental health and clinical terms
The APA Dictionary of Psychology — the standard free reference for definitions of clinical and research terms.
4 min read
Lexicon · Language
Stigma-aware language — a working guide
The APA Inclusive Language Guide and the National Center on Disability and Journalism's style guide on the words that matter and the ones that don't.
7 min read
Lexicon · Research Literacy
How to read a mental health study
Cochrane and the BMJ on effect sizes, confidence intervals, and what 'evidence-based' actually requires.
8 min read
Lexicon · History
A short history of modern psychiatry — and its critics
A reading list spanning deinstitutionalization, the recovery movement, peer support, and Mad Studies.
10 min read
Lived Experience · Peer Support
DBSA peer-support groups — free, ongoing, nationwide
The largest U.S. network of peer-led support groups for mood disorders, including online and family-focused options.
5 min read
Lived Experience · Peer Support
Hearing Voices Network — peer support for psychosis and voice-hearing
An international peer-led network that approaches voice-hearing and unusual experiences without requiring a particular medical framing.
7 min read
Lived Experience · Peer Support
Fireweed Collective and the broader Mad community
Peer support, harm reduction, and radical-mental-health resources from communities that hold their own framing of distress.
6 min read
Lived Experience · Warmlines
Warmlines and peer respites — alternatives to the ED
The peer-staffed phone lines and short-stay residential programs that exist for the territory between okay and 911.
6 min read
Seasonal · Holidays
The holidays and mental health
NAMI on the season that intensifies depression, grief, family conflict, and loneliness for many people — and what helps.
6 min read
Seasonal · Politics & News
Election stress and news fatigue
APA's Stress in America series on the mental health effects of political and news cycles — and practical ways to stay informed without being flooded.
6 min read
Seasonal · Disasters
After a disaster — the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline
The U.S. federal helpline dedicated specifically to emotional distress related to natural and human-caused disasters.
4 min read
Seasonal · Anniversary Reactions
Anniversary reactions and trauma anniversaries
The VA's National Center for PTSD on the predictable resurgence of symptoms around the time of year a trauma occurred.
5 min read
Family · Education
NAMI Family-to-Family — a free course for families
An eight-session, evidence-based education program taught by trained family members who have been there.
6 min read
Family · Parents & Caregivers
Facts for Families — child & adolescent mental health
Short, peer-reviewed handouts from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry covering everything from tantrums to teen suicide.
5 min read
Family · Parents & Caregivers
Helping a family member — Mental Health America toolkit
Practical scripts, planning worksheets, and warning-sign checklists for the person trying to help.
6 min read
Loneliness · Public Health
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation — Surgeon General's Advisory
The 2023 U.S. Surgeon General report that named social disconnection a public-health priority.
8 min read
Loneliness · Older Adults
Connect2Affect — addressing isolation in older adults
A free self-assessment plus local resources for adults 50+ who are feeling cut off.
4 min read
Loneliness · United Kingdom
Campaign to End Loneliness — UK resource hub
Evidence reviews, community guides, and policy briefs from the leading UK coalition on loneliness.
5 min read
Primary Care · Integrated Care
Collaborative Care Model — AIMS Center at the University of Washington
The most-studied way to deliver mental health treatment inside primary care, with 90+ randomized trials behind it.
7 min read
Primary Care · Screening
USPSTF depression and anxiety screening recommendations
Why your primary-care visit now includes a short mental-health questionnaire — and what the score means.
5 min read
Primary Care · Integrated Care
Behavioral health integration in family medicine
How family physicians are weaving mental-health care into the visit you were already going to have.
6 min read
Public Opinion · National Surveys
Stress in America — annual APA survey
The longest-running national survey of how Americans feel about their mental and emotional load.
7 min read
Public Opinion · National Surveys
Pew Research — Americans' views on mental health
Where U.S. adults stand on access, stigma, social media, and what makes a community feel mentally healthy.
6 min read
Public Opinion · National Surveys
KFF tracking polls — mental health access and affordability
Recurring polls on whether Americans can find care, afford care, and trust the system providing it.
6 min read
Substance Use · Treatment
SAMHSA National Helpline — 1-800-662-HELP
Free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral in English and Spanish for individuals and families.
3 min read
Substance Use · Treatment
NIDAMED Treatment Navigator — finding evidence-based addiction care
A step-by-step guide that distinguishes evidence-based addiction treatment from the marketing-heavy rehab industry.
8 min read
Substance Use · Peer Support
Faces & Voices of Recovery
A national network of recovery community organizations led by people in recovery themselves.
4 min read
Veterans · Care
VA mental health services — what veterans are entitled to
A plain-language map of the mental health care available through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
7 min read
Veterans · Care
Vet Centers — community-based readjustment counseling
Confidential counseling outside the main VA system for combat veterans, MST survivors, and their families.
4 min read
Veterans · Civilian Support
Give an Hour — free counseling for veterans and military families
A national network of mental-health professionals providing free care outside the VA.
3 min read
Workforce · Occupational Health
NIOSH Total Worker Health
The federal research program studying how the conditions of work shape mental and physical health.
5 min read
Workforce · Occupational Health
OSHA workplace mental health resources
What the U.S. workplace-safety regulator says about psychological hazards on the job.
5 min read
Workforce · Employer Action
One Mind at Work — employer coalition on mental health
A global coalition of employers committing to evidence-based workplace mental-health practices.
4 min read
Care Models · Community
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs)
Federally designated clinics that must offer 24/7 crisis care, MAT, and care coordination to anyone who walks in.
6 min read
Care Models · Community
Clubhouse International — peer-run community for serious mental illness
A 350+ site global network where members run the clubhouse alongside staff and rebuild work, school, and social life.
5 min read
Public Voices · Storytelling
The Mighty — first-person stories on mental health and chronic illness
A large, well-moderated community of writers sharing lived-experience essays.
4 min read
Public Voices · Advocacy
Active Minds — young adults changing the conversation
The largest nonprofit mobilizing students and young adults to talk openly about mental health.
4 min read
Eating · Peer Support
ANAD — free peer-support and mentorship for eating disorders
Free helplines, support groups, and one-to-one mentorship from people in recovery.
4 min read
Perinatal · Medication Safety
MotherToBaby — medications and pregnancy / breastfeeding
Free, evidence-based answers about specific medications, illnesses, and exposures during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
4 min read
Workplace · Accommodations
Job Accommodation Network — mental health accommodations at work
Free, confidential guidance on workplace accommodations for psychiatric and cognitive disabilities.
5 min read