Guest Author - Karen Huber
Mental Health America has an attractive, well-laid-out home page. The top menu bar has links for About, Mission, Affiliate-Network, Mental Health Info, News, Take Action, Donate, Join, and Get Help. The left side of the page has featured programs, living well and mental health advocacy; a welcome column in the middle of the page explains the mission of Mental Health America; and the right-hand side of the page has a handy translation box; a three-minute test for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder; a newsletter sign-up, a link for finding a therapist, healthy advice, partners of Mental Health America, and links to join, donate, and get involved in lobbying.
Under the About in the menu bar, there are links to staff members, history, financial info, and career and intern opportunities. The Mental Health link in the top menu bar takes you to mental health info, medications, the MHA store, and FAQs. The News link has information for journalists and points to issues, media highlights, and experts. The MHA site has a blog and a Twitter feed. The Mental Health Info link appears under several menu bars for convenience and easy navigation.
The blog is divided into Categories: Advocacy, Children, Conference, General, Legislative, News, Parity, Prevention, Research, Veterans, and Work. Newsletter subscriptions are: Advocacy Network, news on popular issues, action opportunities, and monthly newsletter; Mental Health America News and Announcements and the quarterly newsletter, The Bell; Mental Health in the Headlines weekly newsletter; state and local issues updates; and Press Releases. On the newsletter subscription page, I found more specific links to Programs, History, About the Newsletter, conferences, employment, internships, and financial statements.
I clicked on Mental Health Information and got a page with the title, “Get Info,” divided by audience, issue, and disorders and treatments. I selected borderline personality disorder and was taken to a summary of the disorder, possible causes, and treatment options. I clicked on Medications under Mental Health Info and saw an article entitled, “How Can I Get Information About Medications?”, which was divided into sections Medication Decisions, questions to ask about prescribed medications, how to tell if medication is working, a list of resource links, and contact information for some pharmaceutical companies. Under the Medication Decisions section, I clicked on the Antipsychotic Medication Checklist and got a PDF brochure that explained the side effects of the medications and had a comprehensive side effects checklist to take to a doctor or health care professional. On the medications page, there was also a box on the right-hand side of the page that had links to find treatment, support groups, and a local affiliate; help to pay for prescriptions, finding inpatient treatment, help with Medicare, treatments, and a link for Spanish-language help. Clicking on the FAQ link on this page took me to links to the same subjects above.
Under the Mental Health Info menu on the home page, I clicked on the link for the store. There a person can find brochures and fact sheets that cost from 40 cents to 8.95. Under the Join link, membership in Mental Health America is $5.00 a month. Under the Get Help! link, there were sections for finding help, finding treatment and support groups, how to pay for care, and Recovering Through Treatment. I clicked on this last link and came to a page that explains the “Dialogue Through Recovery” program, which educates people about mental health conditions and gives a link for the Dialogue Through Recovery website. The website is part of the Mental Health America and takes a person through the all the steps of recovering from a mental illness.
This was an excellent website with easy and convenient navigation; there was plenty of information written in an understandable way there were many links to get to a specific subject. I especially liked the lists of resources, networking opportunities, and the step-by-step methods offered on the Recovery page. This site was aimed at everyone, professionals, educators, and patients. It is definitely worth visiting whether you have a mental health issue or just want information for someone close to you.
