Mental health resources
Search by what you are dealing with, or filter by the severity a scorecard flagged. Everything here comes from the WHO, NIMH, SADAG, Mind, the APA, Mayo Clinic, a named author or the About Mind team.
Topic
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44 resources
Low mood and depression
When mood flattens, interest fades and the day takes more effort than it should. Reading here explains what is happening and what genuinely helps.
- ArticleDepressive disorder (depression) — fact sheetWorld Health OrganizationThe clearest short overview of what depression is, how common it is, and what effective treatment looks like.
- ArticleDepression: signs, types and treatmentsNational Institute of Mental HealthPlain-language guide to symptoms and the evidence base for therapy, medication and lifestyle change.
- SupportSADAG depression support and helplinesSouth African Depression and Anxiety GroupSouth African support groups, counselling referrals and a 24-hour line — local, free and confidential.
- ArticleBehavioural activation for depressionMind (UK)Explains why doing small things first, and waiting for motivation second, is the treatment order that works.
- BookFeeling Good: The New Mood TherapyDavid D. BurnsThe classic self-help CBT text for catching and testing the thoughts that keep low mood in place.
- WatchDepression, the secret we shareAndrew Solomon · TEDTwenty-nine minutes that make depression speakable — useful to watch before a first conversation about it.
Anxiety and panic
Racing heart, tight chest, a mind that will not stop scanning. These sources explain the alarm system and how to settle it.
- ArticleAnxiety disordersNational Institute of Mental HealthWhat separates ordinary worry from an anxiety disorder, and which treatments have real evidence behind them.
- SupportAnxiety and panic support in South AfricaSADAGLocal helplines, support groups and referral to psychologists who treat anxiety and panic.
- ArticlePanic attacks and panic disorderMayo ClinicReassuring, medically accurate description of what a panic attack does to the body and when to get help.
- BookThe Anxiety and Phobia WorkbookEdmund J. BourneA structured workbook: breathing, exposure, thought work and relapse planning, in the order to do them.
- WatchHow to make stress your friendKelly McGonigal · TEDReframes the physical arousal of anxiety without dismissing it — a good first step for people who fear their own symptoms.
Stress and tension
Tension, irritability, difficulty winding down. Stress is a load problem before it is a coping problem.
- SupportTalk to someone about stressSouth African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG)Free, confidential South African counselling lines and referrals when stress feels like too much.
- WatchHow to make stress your friendKelly McGonigal, TEDA health psychologist on how the way you think about stress changes what it does to your body.
- ArticleStress — questions and answersWorld Health OrganizationShort, practical answers on what stress does and the everyday steps that reduce it.
- ArticleSix relaxation techniques to reduce stressHarvard Health PublishingSix methods with evidence behind them, described briefly enough to actually try one tonight.
- BookWhy Zebras Don't Get UlcersRobert SapolskyThe definitive account of what chronic stress does to a body, written with unusual clarity and humour.
- ArticleStress effects on the bodyAmerican Psychological AssociationSystem by system, what sustained stress costs — helpful when someone is minimising their own symptoms.
Burnout and depletion
Exhaustion, cynicism and the feeling that nothing you do lands. Burnout is an occupational phenomenon, not a personal failure.
- SupportTalk to someone about burnoutSouth African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG)Local counsellors you can speak to free of charge when work has worn you down.
- ArticleBurn-out an occupational phenomenon (ICD-11)World Health OrganizationThe official definition: exhaustion, mental distance and reduced efficacy, arising from work, not character.
- BookBurnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress CycleEmily & Amelia NagoskiExplains why removing the stressor is not the same as completing the stress cycle in the body.
- ArticleBurnout is about your workplace, not your peopleHarvard Business ReviewPuts responsibility where the research puts it — workload, control, reward, community, fairness and values.
Energy, sleep and recovery
Most resilience is rebuilt while you are asleep. Start here when energy is the domain that flagged.
- SupportTalk to someone about sleepSouth African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG)When poor sleep comes with low mood or worry, SADAG can point you to local help.
- WatchSleep is your superpowerMatt Walker, TEDA sleep scientist explains, plainly, what sleep does for your mood, memory and health.
- BookWhy We SleepMatthew WalkerThe case for sleep as the foundation of mood, memory and immunity, told by a sleep scientist.
- ArticleInsomnia treatment: CBT instead of sleeping pillsMayo ClinicCBT-I is the first-line treatment for insomnia. This explains what it involves.
- ArticleThe seven types of restSaundra Dalton-SmithWhy sleeping more does not fix every kind of tiredness — the framework behind our Recovery course.
Focus and attention
When attention frays, everything takes longer and feels heavier.
- SupportTalk to someone about focusSouth African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG)If trouble concentrating is part of something bigger, SADAG offers free local support and referrals.
- WatchHow to tame your wandering mindAmishi Jha, TEDA neuroscientist on why attention drifts and a simple practice that helps bring it back.
- BookDeep WorkCal NewportA practical argument for protecting long, undistracted blocks — and how to structure a day around them.
- BookStolen FocusJohann HariReframes distraction as something being done to us, with the research on what restores attention.
- ArticleHow mindfulness training changes attentionGreater Good Science Center, UC BerkeleyWhat attention training does and does not do, without the wellness marketing.
Connection and support
Being honestly known by someone is one of the strongest predictors of coming through a hard stretch.
- SupportTalk to someone about lonelinessSouth African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG)Speak to a trained counsellor when you feel alone; free and confidential in South Africa.
- WatchWhat makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happinessRobert Waldinger · TEDEighty years of Harvard data pointing at one thing: the quality of our relationships.
- ArticleOur epidemic of loneliness and isolationUS Surgeon GeneralThe health cost of disconnection, and six practical pillars for rebuilding it.
- BookDaring GreatlyBrené BrownOn the vulnerability that honest connection requires, and why armour costs more than it protects.
Adaptability under pressure
Recovering your footing quickly matters more than never losing it.
- SupportTalk to someone about changeSouth African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG)Support from local counsellors when change or uncertainty feels hard to carry.
- BookThe Resilience FactorKaren Reivich & Andrew ShattéSeven skills for catching and testing your own thinking when plans fall apart.
- ArticleBuilding your resilienceAmerican Psychological AssociationThe APA's own practical guide — connection, wellness, healthy thinking and meaning.
- ArticleSelf-compassion exercisesKristin NeffFree guided practices for the moments when you are hardest on yourself.
Rhythm and boundaries
Days without edges quietly become weeks without recovery.
- SupportTalk to someone about your daily rhythmSouth African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG)Free local support when disrupted routines start affecting your mood.
- WatchWhy do we sleep?Russell Foster, TEDA body-clock scientist on how daily rhythms shape energy, mood and focus.
- BookFour Thousand WeeksOliver BurkemanA humane answer to overload: choosing what to neglect on purpose.
- ArticleHow to set healthy boundariesMind (UK)Short and concrete on saying no without a long explanation.
- ArticlePsychological detachment from workAmerican Psychological AssociationWhy switching off after hours is measurable recovery, not laziness.
These are educational resources, not treatment. If something worries you, please speak to a professional or book a session with the About Mind team.