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Wellness helpline

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Suicide Prevention

Suicide prevention and crisis counseling

Warm Transfers

Referrals and warm transfer to other services

Follow-up Care

Follow-up to check that you have connected to care and it is working for you

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We're here to listen and help with problems like stress, depression, anxiety, or drug and alcohol use. For you or someone you care for. What We Do Helping New Yorkers in Crisis NYC 988 is your...

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Mental Health Association in New York State

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Mental Health Association in New York State

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Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc

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MHANYS is a not-for-profit organization that works to end the stigma against mental illness and promotes mental health wellness in New York State. MHANYS achieves this through training, education, advocacy and policy, community-based partnership programming, and by connecting individuals and families to help.

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Welcome | Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc

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MHANYS is a not-for-profit organization that works to end the stigma against mental illness and promotes mental health wellness in New York State. MHANYS achieves this through training, education, advocacy and policy, community-based partnership programming, and by connecting individuals and families to help.

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Organizations With Mental Health Expertise

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Organizations With Mental Health Expertise

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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

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Mental health is essential to a person’s life in the same way as physical health. Hesitation to talk about mental health adds to the notion that the topic is taboo. It is important to normalize conversations surrounding mental health so people can feel empowered to seek the help they need. The following resources can help you feel more informed to talk about mental health with the people in your life who may need your support. For People with Mental Health Problems

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Understanding New York City’s Mental Health Challenge

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Understanding New York City’s Mental Health Challenge

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Read the full ThriveNYC Mental Health Roadmap
Understanding New York City's Mental Health Challenge

Get a full copy of this ThriveNYC report (PDF)

While statistics alone cannot capture the devastating human costs of mental illness, they drive home the scope of the mental health crisis facing New York City:

At least one in five adult New Yorkers is likely to experience a mental health disorder in any given year.

8% of NYC public high school students report attempting suicide.

Consequences of substance misuse are among the leading causes of premature death in every neighborhood in New York City. Each year, 1,800 deaths and upwards of 70,000 emergency room visits among adults aged 18 to 64 can be attributed to alcohol use.

73,000 New York City public high school students report feeling sad or hopeless each month.

Approximately 8% of adult New Yorkers experience symptoms of depression each year.

Major depressive disorder is the single greatest source of disability in NYC. At any given time over half a million adult New Yorkers are estimated to have depression, yet less than 40% report receiving care for it.

There are $14 billion in estimated annual productivity losses in New York City tied to depression and substance misuse.

Unintentional drug overdose deaths outnumber both homicide and motor vehicle fatalities.

The stigma of mental illness has been found to have serious negative effects on hope and an individual's sense of self-esteem. Stigma also increases the severity of psychiatric symptoms and decreases treatment adherence.

We need more information to be effective
There remain many questions about where and how mental health threats take root, how to better match what we are doing with where we can make the biggest impact, and the comparative value and quality of treatment and intervention options.

And we especially need to better measure mental health itself through adopting new measures and tools. In order to effectively tailor both our treatment and prevention efforts, we must have a thorough and data-based understanding of how mental illness, substance misuse, and threats to mental health manifest. To move forward and address mental health priorities we should also rethink traditional methods for gathering information about mental health.

Some countries are beginning to measure "well-being" and the position attributes of mental health. Similarly, it would be useful to capture not just neighborhood effects that pose threats to mental health, but also positive attributes that contribute to the resiliency of individuals and communities. Better data about both mental health and mental illness will help us make better decisions and smarter choices.

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Read the full ThriveNYC Mental Health Roadmap Get a full copy of this ThriveNYC report (PDF) While statistics alone cannot capture the devastating human costs of mental illness, they drive home the scope of the mental health crisis facing New York City: At least one in five adult New Yorkers is likely to experience a mental health disorder in any given year.

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N-MHSS is the only source of national- and state-level data on the mental health services delivery system reported by both publicly and privately operated specialty mental health treatment facilities. They include:

Public and private psychiatric hospitals

Nonfederal general hospitals with separate psychiatric units

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers

Residential treatment centers for children and adults

Community mental health centers

Outpatient, day treatment, or partial hospitalization mental health facilities

Multi-setting (non-hospital) mental health facilities

N-MHSS complements the information gathered through the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS).

Where Do the Data Come From?

N-MHSS is an annual survey to collect information on the location, organization, structure, services, and utilization of mental health treatment facilities. It is designed to collect statistical information on all known mental health treatment facilities in the United States. This includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. Every other year, starting in 2014, N-MHSS also collects information on the numbers and demographics of persons served in these treatment centers.

Need Data Files for Research?

Data files are made available by SAMHSA for research and statistical purposes. Available files may include: Codebooks and Delimited, R, SAS, SPSS, or STATA data sets. Read more.

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National Mental Health Services Survey | CBHSQ Data

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N-MHSS is the only source of national- and state-level data on the mental health services delivery system reported by both publicly and privately operated specialty mental health treatment facilities. They include: Public and private psychiatric hospitals Nonfederal general hospitals with separate psychiatric units U.S.

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New York State: Priority Area: Mental Health/Substance Abuse - Mental Health

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New York State: Priority Area: Mental Health/Substance Abuse - Mental Health

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The Burden of Mental Illness

Mental disorders continue to be common, widespread and disabling. Every year, more than 1 in 5 New Yorkers has symptoms of a mental disorder. Moreover, in any year, 1 in 10 adults and children experience mental health challenges serious enough to affect functioning in work, family and school life. The disease burden or total cost of mental illness exceeds that caused by all cancers.

Barriers to effective care-stigma and discrimination, symptoms that reduce the ability to recognize problems, insurance limits-add up. In our nation, people enter care on average nine years after problems first appear. Mental health problems are a leading health challenge for children; half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, while three-quarters begin by age 24. Mental disorders that appear early on, when left untreated, are associated with disability, school failure, teenage childbearing, unstable employment, marital instability, death by suicide, and violence. Nearly $200 billion is lost each year nationwide in reduced earnings due to mental health problems. The costs of untreated or poorly treated mental illness in the disability system, in prisons, and on the streets contribute to the mental health care crisis.

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) promotes the mental health and well-being of all New Yorkers. Its mission is to facilitate recovery for young to older adults receiving treatment for serious mental illness, to support children and families in their social and emotional development and early identification and treatment of serious emotional disturbances, and to improve the capacity of communities across New York to achieve these goals. OMH envisions a future when every New Yorker experiences hope and recovery and when people across New York have access to and choice among the supports and services that foster self-determination for living, working, learning and participating fully in their communities.

Objectives

By the year 2013, reduce the age-adjusted suicide mortality rate in New York to no more than 4.8 per 100,000. Baseline: 6.0 per 100,000, Vital Statistics, 2003-2005. (Healthy People 2010 Goal)

By the year 2013, reduce the percentage of adult New Yorkers reporting 14 or more days with poor mental health in the last month to no more than 7.8%. Baseline: 10.4%, BRFSS, 2003-2005. (Healthy People 2010 Goal)

Indicators for Tracking Public Health Priority Areas

Each community's progress towards reaching these Prevention Agenda Objectives will be tracked so members can see how close each community is to meeting the objectives.

Data and Statistics

County Mental Health Profiles

The County Mental Health Profiles released by the New York State Office of Mental Health lists key county community characteristics, mental health services, expenditures, and outcomes. It has information on consumer demographics, services provided, and has comparative statewide statistics. Each of the seven tabs represents a different domain of information. On each pages ia a notes button that explains the data sources, and most pages have a Related Reports button that links to other websites containing additional information.

Chartbook on Mental Health and Disability in the United States

This easy-to-use chart book from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research draws from national surveys and statistical research; it presents information on the prevalence of mental disorders and the extent to which mental disorders contribute to reduced participation in major life activities.

Community Health Data Set

The data set includes county-level data in 18 health focus areas. The focus areas are: Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics, Physical Activity and Fitness, Nutrition, Tobacco Use, Substance Abuse: Alcohol and Other Drugs, Family Planning, Unintentional Injuries, Oral Health, Maternal and Infant Health, Child and Adolescent Health, Heart Disease and Stroke, Cancer, Chronic Conditions, HIV Infection, Sexually Transmitted Disease, Immunization, and Infectious Diseases, and Violent and Abusive Behavior.

Kids Well-Being Indicators Clearinghouse (KWIC) - Physical and Emotional Health

Physical and Emotional Health is one of six life areas that make up the New York State Touchstones framework used in KWIC. Each life area has a set of goals and objectives - representing expectations about the future, and a set of indicators-reflecting the status of children and families. The Touchstones framework provides a holistic approach as it cuts across all health, education and human service sectors.

Patient Characteristics Survey Report

The Patient Characteristics Survey (PCS) is conducted every two years, and collects demographic, clinical, and service-related information for each person who receives a public mental health service during a specified one-week period. Results from the PCS are summarized into reports at the state, region, county, and facility levels.

The Numbers Count Mental Disorders in America (2008)

This publication describes national statistics about mental disorders.

Mental Health Services and Supports

The majority of people in New York who find treatment for their mental health problems do not obtain care in programs operated, funded, or regulated by OMH. They often see private therapists, rely on self-help and peer support, or simply receive medication treatment from primary care physicians. For those people whose illness is complex or results in substantial disability-or for those who lack insurance coverage or for whom mental health benefits are inadequate-more is often required. This is where the OMH "safety net" is essential.

The core mission of OMH is to sustain the safety net of programs operated by nonprofits, counties, hospitals and the State for adults living with serious mental illness and children and youth with serious emotional disturbance. In tough times, when rates of mental illness and suicide increase and private care can be less accessible, this challenge is urgently important.

Over the past 50 years, the public mental health system in New York has evolved from one dominated by large State psychiatric hospitals serving a tiny fraction of persons with serious mental illness, to a highly dispersed system of non-profit organizations, county mental hygiene departments, and State and private hospitals serving about 650,000 individuals yearly. Currently, OMH funds and/or licenses more than 2,500 mental health programs operated by local governments and private agencies. They provide outpatient, inpatient, emergency, residential, community support and vocational care and services.

Strategies - The Evidence Base for Effective Interventions

Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center's (SPRC) website defers to evidence-based programs in the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. The SPRC stopped conducting reviews in 2005, though continue to list 12 suicide prevention programs previously identified.

Center for Practice Innovations

The Center supports the mission of OMH to promote the widespread availability of evidence-based practices serves as a key resource by spreading those practices identified by OMH as most important in transforming the mental health system of care.

Dartmouth Evidence-Based Practices Center

Since 1987, the Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center has studied mental health services and helped providers establish programs based on evidence gained from research. The Center facilitates the implementation of Evidence- Based Practices in sustainable ways in public mental health systems and agencies across the country.

Evidence Based Treatment Dissemination Center (EBTDC)

A program of the OMH Division of Children and Families, the EBTDC is dedicated to increasing access to evidence-based treatments and supports through education and training of and consultation with clinicians. Information, including training offerings, may be obtained from this site.

National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).

The NREPP is a searchable database with up-to-date, reliable information on the scientific basis and practicality of interventions. Users, such as community organizations and state and local officials, can perform custom searches to identify specific interventions based upon desired outcomes, target populations and service settings.

The Community Guide - Mental Health and Mental Illness

In the area of mental health and mental illness, the Task Force on Community Preventive Services recommends collaborative care for treatment of adults 18 years of age or older with major depression. To reduce depression among older adults, the Task Force recommends home-based depression care management, and clinic-based depression care management.

Reports and Resources

Return on Investment

Clinical evidence shows treatment for depression reduces workplace absenteeism.

While these studies used different criteria for diagnosing depression, different methods of treating depression, and different treatment outcome measures, the overall results were very consistent: about a 40-55% reduction in absenteeism with treatment of depression with usual care,and 20-30% further reduction with enhanced care.1,2,3

References

1. Greenberg PE, Kessler RC, Birnbaum HG et al. (2003). The economic burden of depression in the United States: how did it change between 1990 and 2000? J Clin Psychiatry 2003; 64(12):1465-1475.
This economic analysis estimated the average cost of treating a depressed person using national data. Published utilization data for individuals receiving medical treatment for depression included: the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, Mental Health, United States, 2000, the National Hospital Discharge Survey, and the National Nursing Home Survey. Average direct costs for the treated depressed were estimated to be $3,309 per case.

2. Lerner D, Adler DA, Chang H, Lapitsky L, Hood MY, Perissinotto C, Reed J, McLaughlin TJ, Berndt ER, Rogers WH (2004). Unemployment, Job Retention and Productivity Loss Among Employees With Depression. Psychiatric Services, 55:12, 1371-1378
Baseline and 6-month follow-up data were collected from employees with major depression (n=75) and a control group (n=169). Those with major depression had 1.9 days missed from work during a two-week span, compared to 0.7 days for the control group. This translates to approximately 60 and 18 days per year respectively. Those with major depression reported lost productivity of 19.6%, compared to 6.6% in the control group.This paper highlights the importance of keeping a workforce healthy. Through a careful literature review and long-term thinking, the authors contend that investing in healthy human capital will pay off large dividends in the long run. This paper also cites many publications that are used in this model.

3. Simon GE, Revicki D, Heiligenstein J, Grothaus L, VonKorff M, Katon WJ, Hylan TR, (2000).Recovery from depression, work productivity, and health care costs among primary care patients. General Hospital Psychiatry, 22, 153-62.
This study examined 290 adults with major depression who were beginning antidepressant treatment. Patients who had improved or remitted (term implies "recovered") after 12 months reported fewer days missed from work due to illness (10.4 and 6.3 in two years) compared to patients who had not improved (16.8). Patients who were improved or remitted after 12 months had lower health care costs during the second year of follow-up ($2,345 and $2,236) compared to patients who had not improved ($6,365). The authors conclude that recovery from depression is related to significant reductions in work disability and possibly related to reductions in health care costs.

Partners

More Information

New York State Office of Mental Health
44 Holland Avenue
Albany, New York 12229
1-800-597-8481 (toll-free)

Specific contact information: http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/contact/

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Priority Area: Mental Health/Substance Abuse - Mental Health

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Mental disorders continue to be common, widespread and disabling. Every year, more than 1 in 5 New Yorkers has symptoms of a mental disorder. Moreover, in any year, 1 in 10 adults and children experience mental health challenges serious enough to affect functioning in work, family and school life.

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Mental Health First Aid, New York, New York City, MHFA, Thrive, NYC, Mental Health, Mental Health Prevention

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Schedule an appointment online, book online

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Fact: Mental health issues can affect anyone. In 2020, about:

One in 5 American adults experienced a mental health condition in a given year

One in 6 young people have experienced a major depressive episode

One in 20 Americans have lived with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression

Additionally, suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, it was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-24. Suicide has accounted for the loss of more than 45,979 American lives in 2020, nearly double the number of lives lost to homicide.

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Can you tell the difference between a mental health myth and fact? Learn the truth about the most common mental health myths and information to help destigmatize them.

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Looking to boost your mood, handle your emotions better, or build resilience? These 6 life-changing strategies can show you how.

Understanding good mental health

Your mental health influences how you think, feel, and behave in daily life. It also affects your ability to cope with stress, overcome challenges, build relationships, and recover from life's setbacks and hardships.

Strong mental health isn't just the absence of mental health problems. Being mentally or emotionally healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues. Rather than the absence of mental illness, mental health refers to the presence of positive characteristics.

People who are mentally healthy have

A sense of contentment

A zest for living and the ability to laugh and have fun.

The ability to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity.

A sense of meaning and purpose, in both their activities and their relationships.

The flexibility to learn new skills and adapt to change.

A balance between work and play, rest and activity, etc.

The ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships.

Self-confidence and high self-esteem.

The relationship between resilience and mental health

Having solid mental health doesn't mean that you never go through bad times or experience emotional problems. We all go through disappointments, loss, and change. And while these are normal parts of life, they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress. But just as physically healthy people are better able to bounce back from illness or injury, people with strong mental health are better able to bounce back from adversity, trauma, and stress. This ability is called resilience.

People who are emotionally and mentally resilient have the tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook. They remain focused, flexible, and productive, in bad times as well as good. Their resilience also makes them less afraid of new experiences or an uncertain future. Even when they don't immediately know how a problem will get resolved, they are hopeful that a solution will eventually be found.

Whether you're looking to cope with a specific mental health problem, handle your emotions better, or simply to feel more positive and energetic, there are plenty of ways to take control of your mental health-starting today.

How to boost your mental health (yes, it's possible!)

Anyone can suffer from mental or emotional health problems-and over a lifetime most of us will. This year alone, about one in five of us will suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. Yet, despite how common mental health problems are, many of us make no effort to improve our situation.

We ignore the emotional messages that tell us something is wrong and try toughing it out by distracting ourselves or self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, or self-destructive behaviors. We bottle up our problems in the hope that others won't notice. We hope that our situation will eventually improve on its own. Or we simply give up-telling ourselves this is "just the way we are."

The good news is: you don't have to feel bad. There are practices you can adopt to elevate your mood, become more resilient, and enjoy life more. But just as it requires effort to build and maintain physical health, so it is with mental health. We have to work harder these days to ensure strong mental health, simply because there are so many ways that life takes a toll on our emotional well-being.

Why are we often reluctant or unable to address our mental health needs?

Our inability to address our mental health needs stems from a variety of reasons:

In some societies, mental and emotional issues are seen as less legitimate than physical issues. They're seen as a sign of weakness or somehow as being our own fault.

Some people mistakenly see mental health problems as something we should know how to "snap out of." Men, especially, would often rather bottle up their feelings than seek help.

In the modern age, we're obsessed with seeking simple answers to complex problems. We look for connection with others by compulsively checking social media instead of reaching out to people in the real world; to boost our mood and ease depression we take a pill, rather than address the underlying issues.

Many people think that if they do seek help for mental and emotional problems, the only treatment options available are medication (which comes with unwanted side effects) or therapy (which can be lengthy and expensive). The truth is that, whatever your issues, there are steps you can take to improve the way you feel and experience greater mental and emotional well-being. And you can start today!

Make social connection a priority-especially face-to-face

No matter how much time you devote to improving your mental and emotional health, you will still need the company of others to feel and function at your best. Humans are social creatures with emotional needs for relationships and positive connections to others. We're not meant to survive, let alone thrive, in isolation. Our social brains crave companionship-even when experience has made us shy and distrustful of others.

Why is face-to-face connection so important?

Phone calls and social networks have their place, but nothing can beat the stress-busting, mood-boosting power of quality face-to-face time with other people.

The key is to interact with someone who is a "good listener"-someone you can regularly talk to in person, who will listen to you without their own conceptions of how you should think or feel. A good listener will listen to the feelings behind your words, and won't interrupt, judge, or criticize you.

Reaching out is not a sign of weakness and it won't make you a burden to others. Most people are flattered if you trust them enough to confide in them. If you don't feel that you have anyone to turn to, there are good ways to build new friendships and improve your support network. In the meantime, there is still a great benefit to interacting face-to-face with acquaintances or people you encounter during the day, such as neighbors, people in the checkout line or on the bus, or the person serving you your morning coffee. Make eye contact and exchange a smile, a friendly greeting, or small talk.

Tips for connecting to others

Call a friend or loved one now and arrange to meet up. If you both lead busy lives, offer to run errands or exercise together. Try to make it a regular get-together.

If you don't feel that you have anyone to call, reach out to acquaintances. Lots of other people feel just as uncomfortable about making new friends as you do-so be the one to break the ice. Reconnect with an old friend, invite a coworker out for lunch, or ask a neighbor to join you for coffee.

Get out from behind your TV or computer screen. Communication is a largely nonverbal experience that requires you to have direct contact with other people, so don't neglect your real-world relationships in favor of virtual interaction.

Be a joiner. Join networking, social, or special interest groups that meet on a regular basis. These groups offer wonderful opportunities for meeting people with common interests.

Don't be afraid to smile and say hello to strangers you cross paths with. Making a connection is beneficial to both of you-and you never know where it may lead!

Staying active is as good for the brain as it is for the body

The mind and the body are intrinsically linked. When you improve your physical health, you'll automatically experience greater mental and emotional well-being. Physical activity also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals that lift your mood and provide added energy. Regular exercise or activity can have a major impact on mental and emotional health problems, relieve stress, improve memory, and help you to sleep better.

But what if I hate to exercise?

Well, you're not alone. Pounding weights in a gym or jogging on a treadmill isn't everyone's idea of a great time. But you don't have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits of being more active. Take a walk at lunchtime through a park, walk laps in an air-conditioned mall while window shopping, throw a Frisbee with a dog, dance to your favorite music, play activity-based video games with your kids, cycle or walk to an appointment rather than drive.

You don't have to exercise until you're soaked in sweat or every muscle aches. Even modest amounts of physical activity can make a big difference to your mental and emotional health-and it's something you can engage in right now to boost your energy and outlook and help you regain a sense of control.

Tips for starting an exercise routine

Aim for 30 minutes of activity on most days. If it's easier, three 10-minute sessions can be just as effective. Start now by taking a walk or dancing to a favorite song.

Try rhythmic exercise that engages both your arms and legs, such as walking, running, swimming, weight training, martial arts, or dancing.

Add a mindfulness element to your workouts. Instead of focusing on your thoughts, focus on how your body feels as you move-how your feet hit the ground, for example, the rhythm of your breathing, or the feeling of wind on your skin.

Learn how to keep your stress levels in check

Stress takes a heavy toll on mental and emotional health, so it's important to keep it under control. While not all stressors can be avoided, stress management strategies can help you brings things back into balance.

Talk to a friendly face. Face-to-face social interaction with someone who cares about you is the most effective way to calm your nervous system and relieve stress. Interacting with another person can quickly put the brakes on damaging stress responses like "fight-or-flight." It also releases stress-busting hormones, so you'll feel better even if you're unable to alter the stressful situation itself.

Appeal to your senses. Does listening to an uplifting song make you feel calm? Or smelling ground coffee or a favorite scent? Or maybe squeezing a stress ball works quickly to make you feel centered? Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so start experimenting now to find what works best for you. Once you discover how your nervous system responds to sensory input, you'll be able to quickly calm yourself no matter where or when stress hits.

Make leisure time a priority. Partake in your favorite activities for no reason other than that they make you feel good. Go to a funny movie, take a walk on the beach, listen to music, read a good book, or talk to a friend. Doing things just because they are fun is no indulgence. Play is an emotional and mental health necessity.

Make time for contemplation and appreciation. Think about the things you're grateful for. Mediate, pray, enjoy the sunset, or simply take a moment to pay attention to what is good, positive, and beautiful as you go about your day.

Take up a relaxation practice. While sensory input can relieve stress in the moment, relaxation techniques can help reduce your overall levels of stress-although they're likely to take more time to learn effectively. Yoga, mindfulness meditation, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation can put the brakes on stress and bring your mind and body back into a state of balance.

Manage emotions to relieve stress

Understanding and accepting your emotions-especially those unpleasant ones many of us try to ignore-can make a huge difference in your ability to manage stress and balance your moods. HelpGuide's free Emotional Intelligence Toolkit can show you how.

Eat a brain-healthy diet to support strong mental health

Unless you've tried to change your diet in the past, you may not be aware how much of what you eat-and don't eat-affects the way you think and feel. An unhealthy diet can take a toll on your brain and mood, disrupt your sleep, sap your energy, and weaken your immune system. Conversely, switching to a wholesome diet, low in sugar and rich in healthy fats, can give you more energy, improve your sleep and mood, and help you to look and feel your best.

People respond slightly differently to certain foods, depending on genetics and other health factors, so experiment with how the food you include in-or cut from-your diet changes the way you feel. The best place to start is by cutting out the "bad fats" that can damage your mood and outlook, and replace them with " good fats " that support brain-health.

Foods that adversely affect mood

Caffeine

Alcohol

Trans fats or anything with "partially hydrogenated" oil

Foods with high levels of chemical preservatives or hormones

Sugary snacks

Refined carbs (such as white rice or white flour)

Fried food

Foods that boost mood

Fatty fish rich in Omega-3s such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, tuna

Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts

Avocados

Flaxseed

Beans

Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, Brussel's sprouts

Fresh fruit such as blueberries

Don't skimp on sleep-it matters more than you think

If you lead a busy life, cutting back on sleep may seem like a smart move. But when it comes to your mental health, getting enough sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. Skipping even a few hours here and there can take a toll on your mood, energy, mental sharpness, and ability to handle stress. And over the long-term, chronic sleep loss can wreak havoc on your health and outlook.

While adults should aim for seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night, it's often unrealistic to expect sleep to come the moment you lay down and close your eyes. Your brain needs time to unwind at the end of the day. That means taking a break from the stimulation of screens-TV, phone, tablet, computer-in the two hours before bedtime, putting aside work, and postponing arguments, worrying, or brainstorming until the next day.

Tips for getting better sleep

If anxiety or chronic worrying dominates your thoughts at night, there are steps you can take to learn how to stop worrying.

To wind down, calm the mind, and prepare for sleep, try taking a warm bath, reading by a soft light, listening to soothing music, or practicing a relaxation technique before bed.

To help set your body's internal clock and optimize the quality of your sleep, stick to a regular sleep-wake schedule, even on weekends.

Make sure your bedroom is dark, cool, and quiet. Curtains, white noise machines, and fans can help.

Find purpose and meaning in life

Everyone derives meaning and purpose in different ways that involve benefitting others, as well as yourself. You may think of it as a way to feel needed, feel good about yourself, a purpose that drives you on, or simply a reason to get out of bed in the morning. In biological terms, finding meaning and purpose is essential to brain health as it can help generate new cells and create new neural pathways in the brain. It can also strengthen your immune system, alleviate pain, relieve stress, and keep you motivated to pursue the other steps to improve mental and emotional health. However you derive meaning and purpose in life, it's important to do it every day.

What gives you meaning and purpose?

Engaging work that provides meaning to yourself and others. Partake in activities that challenge your creativity and make you feel productive, whether or not you get paid for them. Some ideas are gardening, drawing, writing, playing an instrument, or building something in your workshop.

Relationships. Spending quality time where you give of yourself to people who matter to you, whether they're friends, grandkids, or elderly relatives, can support both your health and theirs, while also providing a sense of purpose.

Caring for a pet. Yes, pets are a responsibility, but caring for one makes you feel needed and loved. There's no love quite as unconditional as the love a pet can give. Animals can also get you out of the house for exercise and expose you to new people and places.

Volunteering. Just as we're hard-wired to be social, we're also hard-wired to give to others. The meaning and purpose derived from helping others or the community can enrich and expand your life-and make you happier. There's no limit to the individual and group volunteer opportunities you can explore. Schools, churches, nonprofits, and charitable organizations of all sorts depend on volunteers for their survival.

Caregiving. Taking care of an aging parent, a handicapped spouse, or a child with a physical or mental illness is an act of kindness, love, and loyalty-and can be as rewarding and meaningful as it is challenging.

When to seek professional help

If you've made consistent efforts to improve your mental and emotional health and still aren't functioning optimally at home, work, or in your relationships, it may be time to seek professional help. Following these self-help steps will still benefit you, though. In fact, input from a caring professional can often help motivate us to take better care of ourselves.

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Your mental health influences how you think, feel, and behave in daily life. It also affects your ability to cope with stress, overcome challenges, build relationships, and recover from life's setbacks and hardships. Strong mental health isn't just the absence of mental health problems. Being mentally or emotionally healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues.

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National Institute of Health: Emotional Wellness Toolkit

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National Institute of Health: Emotional Wellness Toolkit

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Your Healthiest Self
How you feel can affect your ability to carry out everyday activities, your relationships, and your overall mental health. How you react to your experiences and feelings can change over time. Emotional wellness is the ability to successfully handle life's stresses and adapt to change and difficult times. Flip each card below for checklists on how to improve your health in each area. Click on the images to read articles about each topic. You can also print the checklists separately or all together to share with others or as a reminder to yourself.
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6 strategies for improving your emotional health

Want to learn more?

NIH scientists study how physical illness, mental health conditions, caregiving, sleep, and stress impact your emotional health and well-being. Read more resources from the NIH institutes advancing research in these areas.
More resources about emotional wellness "

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Find out how to successfully handle life's stresses and adapt to change and difficult times.

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Research Findings about the Importance of Social and Emotional Health

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Research Findings about the Importance of Social and Emotional Health

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Links directly to an info page; the menu on the left-hand side will allow you to navigate through additional related resources but focused on young child (through age 5); you may want to head back to the main website and see what research findings they may have about teens

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Research Findings about the Importance of Social and Emotional Health

It is never too early to begin supporting children's social and emotional development. Research findings show that infants are born able to connect with other people in their environment. Infants recognize familiar voices and even match tone of voice to facial expression. The brain of the infant is designed to connect the newborn with other people who care for her. The infant's brain matures through the interactions between the infant and her environment. The infant's communication of emotions and needs and the adult's response to these needs, establishes the learning pathways in the brain that lead to all other physical, cognitive, and emotional learning. The family's culture has an important influence in all areas of the infant's development, including her social and emotional development.

When children's social and emotional health is compromised, it can create significant challenges for children leading to failure in school, inability to make and sustain friendships, and negative feelings about themselves. One in five children enters kindergarten with poor social development skills; it's difficult for them to join others in play, they don't have the ability to make and keep friends; and they do not positively interact with their peers. Children from the lowest income levels are the least likely to have positive social interactions upon entrance to kindergarten. Children who do not succeed in the first three elementary school grades are often headed for a much longer-term and costly trajectory of failure (Johnson and Knitzer, 2005). Supporting the social and emotional health of infants, toddlers and young children makes sense because:

Early relationships set the stage for healthy or unhealthy brain development

Poor early social, emotional and behavioral development predicts early school failure which in turn predicts later school failure

Early intervention can reduce later higher cost interventions

Giving to children now will allow them to give back to society later

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Research Findings about the Importance of Social and Emotional Health

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It is never too early to begin supporting children's social and emotional development. Research findings show that infants are born able to connect with other people in their environment. Infants recognize familiar voices and even match tone of voice to facial expression.

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What is emotional health? It encompasses mental health issues like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, addiction, and other conditions. But being emotionally healthy also means managing day-to-day issues like stress, making and keeping friendships, changing bad habits, and using your creativity, all of which can have an impact on your physical health. Total health depends on a healthy mind as well as a healthy body, so it's important to take the time to nurture both.

Emotional Health Conditions

Emotional Health Basics

Understanding emotional health means paying attention to your overall happiness and well-being. Being emotionally healthy also involves maintaining control of your thoughts and feelings. People with good emotional health are resilient in the face of challenges, find ways to express their creativity, and understand the importance of social connections. They also recognize the power of spirituality and the value of staying positive.

Emotional Health Management

The road to better emotional health starts with learning ways to cope with your feelings and reactions. If you're not as emotionally healthy as you could be - or would like to be - take a closer look at how you interact with the world. Learn how to strengthen friendships and family ties and manage toxic relationships. Find out how to relieve everyday stress, improve your attitude, and change the bad habits that are holding you back.

Emotional Health Discussion Forums and Blogs

In our Emotional Health discussion forums and blogs, people are talking about topics related to stress, depression, and anxiety; bipolar disorder; children's emotional health; therapists; and other emotional health issues. Don't see any threads of interest? Start a conversation about stress or other emotional health issues. Join in the discussion and learn from others who are facing emotional health problems.

Emotional Health Blogs

See all Blogs.

Emotional Health Discussion Forums

See all Emotional Health Discussion Forums.

Emotional Health: More Information

Looking after your emotional health doesn't mean you'll never have problems - but it does ensure you'll have the skills to handle them. With the right information, you can learn how to relax your nerves, control your anger, cope with the death of a pet, handle financial stress, and stand up for yourself. Read about handling common emotional health issues.

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Emotional Health Center | Everyday Health

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What is emotional health? It encompasses mental health issues like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, addiction, and other conditions. But being emotionally healthy also means managing day-to-day issues like stress, making and keeping friendships, changing bad habits, and using your creativity, all of which can have an impact on your physical health.

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Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected.

Mental Health Conditions

Mental illnesses are disorders, ranging from mild to severe, that affect a person's thinking, mood, and/or behavior. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one-in-five adults live with a mental illness.

Many factors contribute to mental health conditions, including:

Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry

Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse

Family history of mental health problems

Some mental health topics include:

A Serious Mental Illness (SMI) is a mental illness that interferes with a person's life and ability to function. Despite common misperceptions, having an SMI is not a choice, a weakness, or a character flaw. It is not something that just "passes" or can be "snapped out of" with willpower.

View SAMHSA's Public Message about Serious Mental Illnesses.

Early Warning Signs & Symptoms

Not sure if you or someone you know is living with mental health problems? Experiencing one or more of the following feelings or behaviors can be an early warning sign of a problem:

Eating or sleeping too much or too little

Pulling away from people and usual activities

Having low or no energy

Feeling numb or like nothing matters

Having unexplained aches and pains

Feeling helpless or hopeless

Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual

Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared

Yelling or fighting with family and friends

Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships

Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your head

Hearing voices or believing things that are not true

Thinking of harming yourself or others

Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school

Do you think someone you know may have a mental health problem? Talking about mental health can be difficult. Learn about common mental health myths and facts and read about ways to help you get the conversation started.

Tips for Living Well with a Mental Health Condition

Having a mental health condition can make it a struggle to work, keep up with school, stick to a regular schedule, have healthy relationships, socialize, maintain hygiene, and more.

However, with early and consistent treatment-often a combination of medication and psychotherapy-it is possible to manage these conditions, overcome challenges, and lead a meaningful, productive life.

Today, there are new tools, evidence-based treatments, and social support systems that help people feel better and pursue their goals. Some of these tips, tools and strategies include:

Stick to a treatment plan. Even if you feel better, don't stop going to therapy or taking medication without a doctor's guidance. Work with a doctor to safely adjust doses or medication if needed to continue a treatment plan.

Keep your primary care physician updated. Primary care physicians are an important part of long-term management, even if you also see a psychiatrist.

Learn about the condition. Being educated can help you stick to your treatment plan. Education can also help your loved ones be more supportive and compassionate.

Practice good self-care. Control stress with activities such as meditation or tai-chi; eat healthy and exercise; and get enough sleep.

Reach out to family and friends. Maintaining relationships with others is important. In times of crisis or rough spells, reach out to them for support and help.

Develop coping skills. Establishing healthy coping skills can help people deal with stress easier.

Get enough sleep. Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood and overall health. Consistently poor sleep is associated with anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions.

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Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

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A colleague and friend of mine who is a retired professor of pathophysiology with a longstanding interest in psychiatry and human behavior made a very important point to me in our conversations about mental health. "When I was learning about what constituted a diseased liver," he said, "one of the most important pieces of knowledge I had was what a healthy liver looks like to serve as a comparison. Yet, in mental health and psychiatry, basically what you have are descriptors of dysfunction but no real comparison or reference models of what constitutes psychological health. Instead, there is a just a vague claim that the current presentation must not be 'normal'."

This is an excellent point. Although this has changed some in recent years with the emergence of positive psychology, it remains the case that far less attention has been paid to clarifying what constitutes psychological health than psychopathology. And, for far too long psychological health was essentially defined in terms of the absence of psychopathology. In recognizing this point, however, it must also be acknowledge that understanding psychological health is quite tricky and complicated. Consider it this way: It is much more straightforward to answer the question of what is a healthy liver than what is a healthy person. The latter feels (and is) much more value-laden and culturally bound. But that does not mean we are paralyzed and the goal of this blog is to help readers think more explicitly about what it is that constitutes psychological health.

To begin with, let's start with the most general definitions and conceptions of mental health. The World Health Organization explicitly defines mental health as "a state of well-being in which [an] individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community".

I believe we can also think about mental health and illness on a continuum that is represented in the depiction below. Here the key is to think about mental health on two related but separable dimensions of subjective experience and functionality. Thus, mental illness is broadly characterized in terms of mental distress and dysfunction, whereas mental health can be thought of in terms of mental satisfaction/ happiness and optimal functioning.

We can break this continuum model down further via the Nested Model of Human Well-Being, depicted here.

The Nested Model maps the construct into four related but also separable nested domains: 1) the subjective domain, which includes the first person phenomenological state of being; 2) the biological and psychological health and functioning of the individual; 3) the material and social environmental context; and 4) the values and ideology of the evaluator. From this conception, well-being is achieved when there is the positive alignment of these domains. That is, an individual is high in well-being when they are happy and satisfied with their lives, are functioning well psychologically and biologically, have access to necessary and desired material resources and social connections to meet their needs (and the relative absence of damaging or dangerous stressors), and are engaging in life with a purpose and a direction that is deemed by the evaluator to be good and moral. It is worth noting that we can if we "invert" the focus of the Nested Model, an outline of the key domains of illness and pathology emerges. From an 'inverted' perspective, domain one corresponds to subjective feelings of distress, misery or dissatisfaction with life, domain two would involve maladaptive or dysfunctional psychological and biological processes, domain three would involve material and social contextual factors that threaten to disrupt functional processes (e. g., toxins or emotional abuse) and fail to meet basic bio-physical and psychosocial needs all in a way that is deemed to be problematic by the evaluator.

Some psychologists have attempted to specify the ingredients and outcomes that capture healthy psychological functioning. An earlier blog I did ( see here) reviews Carol Ryff's six domains that, according to her make up optimal psychological functioning and it also offers a brief survey that you can take to see where you fall. Finally, I will offer the perspective from the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM). The PDM was developed by psychologists who wanted a contrast to the psychiatric-based DSM. Unlike the DSM which is essentially is devoid of all notions of mental health, the PDM does include a fairly well-specified list that attempts to capture good psychological functioning, which are included in the following slide.

In sum, understanding psychological health is as crucial as understanding psychopathology. Indeed, as my friend the pathologist noted, if we are really going to understand psychopathology, we must also understand psychological health. Doing so can provide us a clear guide as to what we are striving for when we attempt to increase human well-being.

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A colleague and friend of mine who is a retired professor of pathophysiology with a longstanding interest in psychiatry and human behavior made a very important point to me in our conversations about mental health.

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Resources from a Consortium for Science-Based Information on Children, Youth and Families

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Resources from a Consortium for Science-Based Information on Children, Youth and Families

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Select the "emotions" tab across the top for a drop-down menu of varied mental health challenges and topics

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Infoaboutkids.org is an ongoing collaboration of the Consortium for Science-Based Information on Children, Youth and Families. Our goal is to promote healthy child and family development by highlighting science-based information for those who care for, or work with, children. Our site, updated annually, links to other well-established, trustworthy websites for parents, other caregivers, and professionals. Our monthly blogs will summarize science-based information on timely topics. Information provided on the site is meant to complement and not replace any advice or information from a health or education professional.

Body

How does healthy child and adolescent physical development occur? This section looks at physical milestones from birth through adolescence, including puberty. Topics related to healthy development, including healthy eating, exercise and activity levels, and doctor visits are available. Also included are areas that may be of concern, such as specific health conditions, drug abuse, and pain management.

Mind

How do children think and learn? This section looks at milestones in thinking, understanding, problem solving, and language. School topics such as homework and test anxiety are included. This section also includes challenges such as Intellectual disabilities and learning problems.

Emotions

How are emotions understood and managed by children and adolescents? This section looks at milestones in developing emotional well-being. This also includes information about challenges to emotional well-being such as conflict, stress, and trauma. Specific mental and behavioral health conditions are also included.

Relationships

How can children and adolescents relate with others effectively? This section looks at how healthy relationships are developed with family members, peers, and with others in the schools and community. This also includes challenges that happen within the family such as conflict, in schools such as bullying, or in the community such as involvement with the legal system.

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Infoaboutkids.org is an ongoing collaboration of the Consortium for Science-Based Information on Children, Youth and Families. Our goal is to promote healthy child and family development by highlighting science-based information for those who care for, or work with, children. Our site, updated quarterly, links to other well-established, trustworthy websites for parents and professionals.

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Emotional health can lead to success in work, relationships and health. In the past, researchers believed that success made people happy. Newer research reveals that it's the other way around. Happy people are more likely to work toward goals, find the resources they need and attract others with their energy and optimism - key building blocks of success.

Adapted from Review of research challenges assumption that success makes people happy.

What You Can Do

Getting Help

InfoAboutKids.org
A web resource center for behavioral science-based information on children, youth and families developed by leaders of seven divisions of the American Psychological Association.

News

Humans 'not meant to be alone'
May 24, 2020, USA TODAY

Here's one way to deal with coronavirus anxiety-try laughing
May 28, 2020, CNBC

5 natural ways to boost your mental health during stressful times
June 2, 2020, CNN

How to find resilience during the coronavirus pandemic
July 2, 2020, CNN

How to help a loved one cope with a mental illness
July 23, 2020, Today

Related Reading
Related APA Resources
More resources [+]

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Emotional health can lead to success in work, relationships and health. In the past, researchers believed that success made people happy. Newer research reveals that it's the other way around. Happy people are more likely to work toward goals, find the resources they need and attract others with their energy and optimism - key building blocks of success.