Recommendations for Use

Online self-help resources can be valuable.  While we have reviewed the following sites and found them useful, we cannot affirm the validity and accuracy of all the material on each of these sites.  As you evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of mental health information on the Internet, be sure to check the following:

• When was the information posted? Is it the kind of information that should be regularly updated or revised?
• How credible is the source of the information?  Credible sources include professional journals or associations, universities, government mental health organizations, or health care institutions.

We do not recommend online resources as the only source of help for significant mental health concerns.  Online resources are not meant to and cannot replace the specialized training and professional judgment of a trained mental health or health care professional.  You should always consult a trained professional before making any decision regarding treatment choice or changes.

Crisis Hotlines

• Great Rivers 211
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or 1-800-799-4TTY (4889) for TTY equipment for hearing and speech impaired
• Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline
• Domestic and Sexual Abuse Resource Center (Decorah, IA)
• Trevor Helpline

General Resources

The following sites offer information and/or links to a wide array of mental health topics or sites.

• Iowa 211 (Iowa's information and referral database for health and human services)
• American Psychological Association Help Center
• College Mental Health - American Psychiatric Association
• The Student Counseling Virtual Pamphlet Collection
• What a Difference a Friend Makes
• Go Ask Alice!
• Psych Central
• ULifeline.org
• World Federation for Mental Health
• Freedom From Fear
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline
• Domestic and Sexual Abuse Resource Center (Decorah, IA)
• Trevor Helpline
• The Jason Foundation
• Jed Foundation
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - Surviving Suicide Loss
• Strength of Us
• Transition Year

Adoption

• Child Welfare Information Gateway: Adoption

Alcohol/Drugs/Addictions

• Web of Addictions
• Addiction Search
• Center on Addiction and the Family
• Facts on Tap
• Substance Abuse Treatment Facilitator Locator (SAMHSA)
•  Rethinking Drinking

Anxiety

• Anxiety Disorders Association of America
• American Test Anxiety Association
• International OCD Foundation
• OCD Center of Los Angeles

Compulsive Skin Picking and Hair Pulling

• Trichotillomania Learning Center
• StopPicking.com

Depression 

• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
• Mayo Clinic:  Major Depression
• Mayo Clinic:  Seasonal Affective Disorder

Eating Disorders

• National Eating Disorders Association

Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Resources

• Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
• Outfront Minnesota—the state's chief GLBT organization
• PFLAG Transgender Network
• The Trevor Project
• YouTube It Gets Better Project

Grief/Loss

• Compassionate Friends - Grief Support for Siblings
• Hospice Foundation of America - Grief Resources

Health

• National Institutes of Health—Health Information
• Directory of Health Links—U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• The National Women's Health Information Center—Office on Women's Health, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services
• Holistic Health Practitioners - Decorah area

Medications

• Rx List—The Internet Drug Index

Sexual Assault

• Rainn - the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network