Mental Health
In the past half-century, mental health has become a hotbed for scientific research and practice. Myths have been debunked, stigmas diminished, and knowledge continues to pour forth at an astonishing rate. Consider the Internet a mental health fitness center and this guide as your personal trainer. We'll explore a range of subjects including mental illness, finding treatment, support networks, and a whole lot more.
If you have some basic questions about mental health but don't know where to start, the Internet ... read more »
Scientific knowledge of the causes, composition, and treatments of mental illness has grown in ... read more »
A variety of mental illness treatments are available, and the appropriate therapy is based on the condition's severity, duration, origin, and the person's individual characteristics. Use the Web sites in this section to research types of medications and risks, learn what you ought to know before starting therapy, distinguish among the psychotherapy orientations and providers and determine if hospitalization is a viable option.
- Hospitalization is a treatment measure usually reserved for individuals with brief and severe bouts of psychiatric illness or for those with chronic and severe mental illnesses. Below you'll find information on hospital rankings and how to decide if hospitalization is right for you or a loved one.
- If you are looking for help locating a doctor, therapist, or hospital, skip forward to the "Locating a Mental Health Counselor or Treatment Facility" section of this guide.
Medication for mental illness ...
The National Institute of Mental Health
delivers this all-encompassing guide to medication (you can browse online or download the 45-page PDF file). Useful to patients and family members alike, the "booklet" covers a range of topics like what to ask your doctor, information on medications for special groups (e.g., children), and classes of psychiatric drugs (e.g., antidepressants). Whatever your questions might be-general, specific, or even scholarly-chances are you'll find the answers here.
MedicineNet.com
offers a primer in antipsychotic medications, touching on psychotic illnesses, history of antipsychotics, dosages, and side effects.
DailyMed
provides the label content of over 3,000 FDA-approved prescription drugs. If you are searching for basic drug facts, this site is not for you. Content is detailed and technical and includes information on clinical pharmacology, indications and usage, warnings, contraindications, over dosage, and more.
For psychotherapy ...
The APA Help Center
provides articles, tips, and information on an array of psychotherapy related topics. This particular article details everything you'll need to know if you're thinking about seeing a therapist, like how to know it's time, insurance coverage, and picking a therapist who's right for you.
SAMHSA
provides an overview of some of the most common types of psychotherapy, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, client-centered therapy, and psychoanalysis.
The Mayo Clinic
can help if you are confused by or curious about all the different types of mental health providers (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, etc.). This site does a quality job of outlining the distinctions in education, licensure, and scope of treatment services.
For mental health hospitals and mental care facilities ...
Mental Health America
provides this article, which is more of a question checklist for family members and health providers of individuals in need of hospitalization. Questions are based on stages of hospitalization and include: at check-in, during the stay, leaving the hospital, financial and insurance issues, and what to ask the therapist.
U.S. News & World Report
publishes 2007 rankings of America's top psychiatric medical centers. Enter your zip code on the left-hand toolbar to find the one nearest you. Rankings are based on hospital "reputation," which is determined by a survey of physicians rather than by hard data. Also, the list is short and includes only a fraction of the psychiatric hospitals in the United States. In other words, this is useful but not an end-all-be-all directory.
The process of finding treatment shouldn't be complicated or stressful. However, because there are ... read more »
Sometimes the most effective support comes from others who understand exactly what you're going ... read more »
\Around the world at hospitals, universities, and institutes, researchers are making profound ... read more »
A growing body of scientific evidence suggests alternative or complementary health care can ... read more »
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