LibGuides: Simmons Community Read: Transcendent Kingdom: Mental Health &amp; Wellbeing

Mental Health

Simmons Resources:

Simmons Counseling Center

If you are interested in counseling or have any questions, please email us at counseling@simmons.edu or call (617) 521-2455.

Simmons Office of Spiritual Life

Contact the Office of Spiritual Life at spirituallife@simmons.edu or call (617) 521-2489

Mental Health 101
An overview of several aspects of mental health from Metal Health America
National Institute of Mental Health Statistics
The information on these pages includes currently available statistics on the prevalence and treatment of mental illnesses among the U.S. population.
Decolonizing Therapy: Why an Apolitical Mental Health System Doesn’t Work
This essay considers the implications of a mental health system focused on "individualizing" problems rather than taking oppressive systems.
The Mental Health Zines Filling the Gap That Therapy Doesn’t
From empathetic illustrations to helpful tips – a list of DIY resources for self-care, support and intersectional debate
Here's What To Do If You Can't Afford Therapy
Recommendations for mental health support and resources on a budget
SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders
NAMI's Help Line 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
The NAMI HelpLine 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) is a free service that provides mental health information, referrals, and support.
Crisis Text Line (Text HOME to 741741)
Crisis Text Line (Text HOME to 741741) provides free, 24/7, high-quality text-based mental health support and crisis intervention

Racism and Mental Health
Brief overview of racism's impact on the mental health of the Black community and other communities of color.
The Mental Health Effects of Racism
Fact sheet on the mental health and physical health impacts of racism from the New York State Office of Mental Health
Stress and the Mental Health of Populations of Color
This article provides an overview of research on race-related stressors that can affect the mental health of socially disadvantaged racial and ethnic populations.
Physiological & Psychological Impact of Racism and Discrimination for African-Americans
A brief from the American Psychological Association's Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs
Black Mental Health Matters (video)
Philip J. Roundtree gives an impassioned talk discussing the impact of trauma on black identity, and black wellness, and why America’s current conversation on mental health is inadequate.
Discrimination and Racism in the History of Mental Health Care
An overview of systemic racism in mental health care from the National Alliance on Mental Illness
COVID-19, Structural Racism, and Mental Health Inequities
This article discusses the complex interactions between the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, structural racism, and mental health inequities.
Mental Illness in Stressful Times – An Asian American Family’s Story
Dr. Richard Nakamura discusses how his family coped with mental illness during trying times for Japanese Americans during the 20th Century

Mental Health Challenges in Immigrant Communities
Brief overview of mental health barriers for and in immigrant communities from the National Alliance on Mental Illness
Immigration and Mental Health
This review describes patterns in mental health outcomes among immigrants
African Immigrants' U.S. Experience of Mental Health, Mental Illness, and Help-Seeking
A qualitative examination and exploration of African immigrants’ U.S. experience of mental health, mental illness, and help-seeking
Attitudes Toward Suicide, Mental Health, and Help-Seeking Behavior Among African Immigrants
An exploration of the impact of migration on the attitudes of African immigrants toward suicide, mental health, and help-seeking behavior
Trauma, Post-Migration Stress, and Mental Health
This study investigates how traumatic events prior to and after migration, and post-migration stressors, are associated with mental illness and distress
The Effects of Perceived Discrimination on Immigrant and Refugee Physical and Mental Health
This study examined the role of perceived discrimination in relation to other factors, in particular, acculturation, in physical and mental health of immigrants and refugees
Immigrant mental health in Canada (video)
Dr. Bukola Salami describes factors that contribute to the mental health of immigrants
Acculturation and Suicide Attitudes
A study of perceptions about suicide among a sample of Ghanaian immigrants in the United States.

Grief & Loss

Simmons University Counseling Center

If you are interested in counseling or have any questions, please email us at counseling@simmons.edu or call (617) 521-2455.

Simmons University After Hours and Emergency Care

In a life-threatening mental health or medical emergency

Call Public Safety x1111 if you are on campus
Call 911 if you are off campus

The Children's Room
The Children’s Room helps grieving children, teens and families to go on living fully. They serve families from over 75 cities and towns in Massachusetts.
National Alliance for Grieving Children
The National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC) is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about the needs of children and teens who are grieving a death and provides education and resources for anyone who supports them.
HopeHealth
For more than 40 years, HopeHealth has provided high-quality hospice, palliative, home care, dementia and grief support services with unmatched expertise, compassion and respect for our community.
Massachusetts General Hospital Bereavement Support Groups
The Mass General Social Services Department offers bereavement support groups that are open to patients, families, and staff of MGH and Mass General Brigham.

Grief is a Direct Impact of Racism: Eight Ways to Support Yourself

Grief is a direct result of racism and intersectional violence and it affects us physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually, transnationally and transgenerationally.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.

PAATHS: Find your Path to Recovery. Boston Public Health Commission

PAATHS (Providing Access to Addictions Treatment, Hope and Support) is a one-stop shop for anyone (individuals, families, community partners, other treatment providers) looking for information about, or access to, substance use treatment services.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:

1-800-273-8255

We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

SafePlace

is an open group of caring people who have experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide. SafePlace is not a professional therapy group; rather it is peer support. SafePlace provides an atmosphere of acceptance for exploring feelings that are often not understood by others. Serving greater Boston.

Depressed While Black

Imadé (ee-MAH-day) is a writer and mental health advocate who founded Depressed While Black®. She is a suicide attempt survivor who lives with clinical depression and borderline personality disorder.

The Other Side of Sadness by George A. Bonanno
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9780465013609
Publication Date: 2009-09-22
Helping the Bereaved College Student by David E. Balk
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9780826108784
Publication Date: 2011-05-01
The Mindfulness Toolbox: 50 Practical Mindfulness Tips, Tools, and Handouts for Anxiety, Depression, Stress, and Pain by Donald Altman
Call Number: eBook (not streaming video)
ISBN: 9781936128860
The Resilience of Hope by Janette McDonald (Volume Editor); Andrea M. Stephenson (Volume Editor)
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9789042030237
The Mindful Path to Addiction Recovery: A Practical Guide to Regaining Control Over Life by Lawrence Peltz
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 0834828529
Preventing Suicide by John Henden
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9781119162933
Publication Date: 2017-01-30

Substance Use & Addiction

Understanding Drug Use and Addiction DrugFacts
An overview of drug use and addiction from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
The Neurobiology of Drug Addiction
The second in a 5-part series that explores the science behind addiction, describing the brain and reward center, and the action of heroine and cocaine.
Substance Use and Co-Occurring Mental Disorders
Overview from the National Institute of Mental Health about substance use and its co-occurrence with mental health disorders
Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report
A report on common physical and mental health comorbidities with substance use disorders, a research priority for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
What causes opioid addiction, and why is it so tough to combat? (video)
Explores the science of why opioids are addictive and what can be done to reverse the growing rates of addiction and overdose.
Addressing the challenges of the opioid crisis and serious mental illness
This two-page fact sheet includes information about opioid abuse and serious mental illness in the U.S., and how SAMHSA is addressing these challenges
SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders

In Brief: Substance Use and Suicide
This SAMHSA brief highlights the relationship between substance use and suicide and gives an overview of the issue.
Understanding Links among Opioid Use, Overdose, and Suicide
This review describes what is known about the links between suicide and overdoses.
Suicide Deaths Are a Major Component of the Opioid Crisis that Must Be Addressed
A message from Joshua Gordon, director of NIMH, about the links between opioid use, opioid use disorder (OUD), and suicide.
Coping Strategies and Complicated Grief in a Substance Use Disorder Sample
The main objective of this study is to identify the coping strategies of people with SUD and to analyze their relationship to complicated grief.
State Suicide Prevention Infrastructure
This resource provides the first-ever recommendations for a strong state infrastructure to support effective, comprehensive, and sustained suicide prevention
Public Perception of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Survey Results
This report summarizes the results of a Harris Poll conducted in July 2020 about public knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and experiences related to mental health, access to mental health care, and suicide prevention among adults in the United States
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
The Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 provides 24/7, free and confidential support
SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders
Crisis Text Line (Text HOME to 741741)
Crisis Text Line (Text HOME to 741741) provides free, 24/7, high-quality text-based mental health support and crisis intervention

Systemic Racism and Substance Use Disorders
This article reviews evidence of racial disparities in substance use disorders and discusses the historical and legal foundations of systemic racism and substance use disorder disparities. It also explores research examining the role of systemic racism in substance use disorder outcomes on structural and individual levels.
Anti-racism and substance use treatment
This article articulates a need to implement
an antiracist framework for substance use treatment.
African American Youth Suicide: Report to Congress
A report requested by Congress in which the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) examines reasons for why Black children aged 5 to 12 are dying by suicide at nearly twice the rate of their White
counterparts.
The Opioid Crisis and the Black/African American Population
This issue brief presents recent data on prevalence of opioid misuse and death rates in the Black/AA population; contextual factors & challenges to prevention & treatment; and the importance of community voice.
Association Between Opioid Prescriptions and Non–US-Born Status in the US
This study examines the association of opioid prescriptions with non–US-born status, particularly among patients clinically diagnosed with pain
Suicide Risk among Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities
A literature review of studies investigating why immigrants and ethnic minorities may be at higher risk of suicidal behavior as compared to the general population.
The Intersection of Racism and Addiction Amid COVID-19 (video)
A Bloomberg American Health Summit 2020 panel discussion on how issues of racism and addiction intersect amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Confronting COVID, racism, and addiction
An overview of AMERSA 2020 conference proceedings on the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing opioid epidemic, rise in substance use, and social and political unrest in the US and globally.
Substance use disorders among African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) people in Canada
A literature review of studies conducted to characterize substance use patterns in African, Caribbean and Black populations in Canada

Simmons Community Read: Transcendent Kingdom: Mental Health & Wellbeing

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