MENTAL HEALTH
Mason Resources | Local Resources | National Resources | Books and Other
Readings | Cool Links
Mason Resources
The Counseling Center provides individual and group counseling by professional counselors and clinical psychologists. In addition, workshops and outreach programs are also offered to enhance a student's well being and academic performance. To assist students in taking advantage of the tremendous opportunities for personal and intellectual growth that college life offers, the Counseling Center enables students to develop effective tools for overcoming obstacles to their academic progress while examining personal and intellectual strengths, weaknesses, and learning skills. For a complete overview and description of services browse the web site at http://www.gmu.edu/departments/csdc/ and explore the links below for specific topical resources.
- Frequently Asked Questions address services available at the Counseling Center, what a student can expect on their first visit, confidentiality, costs, and other common concerns. Visit http://www.gmu.edu/departments/csdc/faq.htm.
- Individual Counseling assists students in resolving issues such as anxiety, depression, grief, anger, sexuality, relationships, discrimination, and alcohol and drug use that may contribute to emotional distress and interfere with personal and academic success. Visit http://www.gmu.edu/departments/csdc/ind.htm.
- Internet Resources on mental health and psychological issues may be accessed via the internet and provide information to assist with everyday life stressors. This information is supplemental to the services of the Counseling Center and available at http://www.gmu.edu/departments/csdc/links.htm.
- Personal Growth Groups facilitate a safe environment for students to learn about themselves, their interactions with others, to receive feedback on areas of concern, and to learn ways to cope with stressors that may affect their academic and personal lives. Visit http://www.gmu.edu/departments/csdc/group.htm.
- Psychological Services includes information on crisis intervention, emergency services, and consultations for students providing support for themselves and each other. Visit http://www.gmu.edu/departments/csdc/cs.htm.
- Self-Development Workshops provide skills for individuals to improve the quality of their lives and their relationships through personal assessment, education, practical guidelines, and referral resources. Topics include assertiveness in one's academic and personal life; effective interpersonal communication; regulating stress; and anger management. Individual workshops are held regularly and can be accessed at http://www.gmu.edu/departments/csdc/sdwksp.htm.
- Self-Help Resource Library tools include audio and video resources, CD-ROM, books, and publications on growth and academic skills topics that may be utilized during Resource Library hours or checked out overnight or over the weekend for personal use or for classroom or group presentations. Programs in the Self-Help Resource Library are organized around multiple topics and may be viewed at http://www.gmu.edu/departments/csdc/media.htm. <back to top>
The County of Fairfax provides an overview of services in response to mental health areas such as emergency services, alcohol and drugs, clinic locations, and support programs at http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/service/csb/mhs/mhservices.htm or http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/living/healthhuman/.
The Fairfax County Human Services Resource Guide (HSRG) is a quick reference with topic headings to guide individuals to appropriate local resources. Visit http://fairfaxcounty.gov/rim/taxonomylist.asp for more information.
The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board provides services to promote individual and community well being. The Community Services Board strives to assist and empower adults, children, and adolescents to live self-directed and productive lives and achieve their fullest potential as valued and contributing members of their communities, provides services for persons in acute psychiatric or emotional distress, and support to families of persons with mental illness or emotional disturbances. Access an overview of programs via their website at http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/service/csb/mhs/mhsmain.htm.
Virginia's Information and Referral System for Human Services is a link to a vast collection of resources and services in the state of Virginia. To locate a program that meets individual needs, visit http://www.irissoft.com/rich/default2.htm. <back to top>
The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) Mental Health Services Locator provides users – professionals, mental health consumers and their families, and the general public – with comprehensive, updated information about mental health services and resources throughout the United States and its territories. Visit http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/webservice/.
The Doctor Will See You Now is a site that addresses behavior issues and features timely articles on such topics and can be browsed at http://recsports.gmu.edu/outdoor_rec.html.
Healthfinder® is a Federal Web site developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other Federal agencies as a key resource for finding the best government and nonprofit health and human services information on the Internet. Healthfinder® links to selected information and Web sites from over 1,500 health-related organizations. Two links by healthfinder® supply information on many mental health topics and mental disorders. Visit both at http://www.healthfinder.gov/scripts/SearchContext.asp?topic=2500, and http://www.healthfinder.gov/scripts/SearchContext.asp?topic=1086.
MedlinePlus houses a wealth of excellent health information from the National Library of Medicine for both health professionals and consumers. MedlinePlus Mental Health has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 700 diseases and conditions. There are also lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials. MedlinePlus Mental Health is updated daily and can be book marked at the URL: medlineplus.gov. There is no advertising on this site, nor does MedlinePlus endorse any company or product (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mentalhealth.html).
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the world's leading medical research organization, supporting over 38,000 research projects nationwide on diseases and disorders including attention deficit, anxiety, depression, phobias, stress and suicide. It includes 27 separate health institutes and centers. For more information on mental health and behavior, visit http://health.nih.gov/search.asp/16.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) whose mission is to reduce the burden of mental illness and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior for better understanding, treatment, and prevention of those conditions that affect or disable millions of Americans. In addition to conducting and supporting research, NIMH collects, analyzes, and disseminates information on the causes, occurrence, and mental illness treatment; supports the training of scientists to carry out basic and clinical research; and communicates information to scientists, the public, news media, and primary care and mental health professionals about mental illnesses, the brain, behavior, mental health, and opportunities and advances in these areas. Health information can be accessed at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) works to improve the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services by providing funding to states to support these services. Individuals may access information on mental health at http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/ or http://www.samhsa.gov/MentalHealth/mentalhealth_public_i.aspx.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the major U.S. government agency for preserving the health of all Americans and providing necessary human services. This branch includes an expansive spectrum of programs including health and social science research, health information technology, financial assistance and services, and substance abuse treatment and prevention. HHS works closely with state and local governments and many HHS-funded services are provided at the local level by state or county agencies. http://www.hhs.gov/diseases/index.shtml#mental <back to top>
Cooke, B.G. (2005). All About Depression: A helpful starting place for anyone interested in learning the basics about depressive symptoms, treatment approaches, therapeutic and intervention resources for a diverse population. (Unpublished Book Currently Under Contract)
DePaulo, Jr., J.R. and Horvitz, L.A. (2002). Understanding Depression: What We Know and What You Can Do About It. New York, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
"The Global Burden Of Disease" by C.J.L. Murray and A.D. Lopez, World Health Organization, 1996, Table 5.4 page 270.
Leahy, R.L. and Holland, S.J. (2000). The Clinicians Toolbox. New York, Guilford Press.
Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General Department of Health and Human Services. (2000).
For more information on depression and other mental health disorders, check out the information fact sheets of the Screening for Mental Health organization’s web site at http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/infofaq/index.aspx.
A listing of books dealing with childhood and adult mental health topics can be found at http://www.ncpamd.com/books.htm on the Northern County Psychiatric Associates web site. <back to top>