Understanding Mental Illness - after the Virginia Tech Tragedy
The tragic shootings on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
Materials (PDF Versions)
Tips for College
Students: In the Wake of Trauma 
Tips
for Survivors of a Traumatic Event: Managing Your Stress
Guide
for Parents and Educators: Tips for Talking to Children and Youth After
Traumatic Events
Tips
for Talking to Children: Interventions At Home for Preschoolers to
Adolescents
Guide for
Emergency Response and Public Safety Workers: Tips for Managing and
Preventing Stress
Tips
for Emergency and Disaster Response Workers: Possible Alcohol and Substance
Abuse Indicators
Disaster
Tips Wallet Card: Having Trouble Coping? (English) (Espanol)
Additional Mental Health Resources (Online)
Myths and Facts
About Mental Health
Often people are afraid to talk about mental health because there are many
misconceptions about mental illnesses. It’s important to learn the facts. Click
on this website to learn more.
About Mental
Illnesses
This site provides information so that you can know more about some of the
common mental illnesses.
Violence
and Mental Illness
This fact sheet helps readers understand the truth about mental illness and
violence.
Real Stories
The personal accounts found here are true stories of real people and their
experiences with mental illnesses. They have chosen to share their stories to
inspire others and help people understand that mental illnesses are real,
common, and treatable—and that recovery is possible.
National
Anti-Stigma Campaign
SAMHSA, in conjunction with the Ad Council, has launched a public education
campaign designed to encourage, educate, and inspire people between 18 and 25
to support their friends who are experiencing mental health problems. The
prevalence of serious mental health conditions in this age group is almost
double that of the general population, yet young people have the lowest rate of
help-seeking behaviors. This group has a high potential to minimize future
disability if social acceptance is broadened and they receive the right support
and services early on. Learn more about mental illnesses, understand the facts,
and find our resources for how you can join the campaign by going to the
website.
Social
Acceptance is the Key to Mental Health Recovery
This fact sheet provides information on a 2006 survey of the public’s attitudes
on mental illness and highlights how increasing social acceptance can help to
increase mental health recovery.
Anti-Stigma:
Do You Know the Facts?
This site gives the basic facts and the do’s and don’ts associated with stigma.
Before
You Label People, Look at their Contents
Words and the language we use can contribute to or lessen stigma. Find out
more.
Mental Health: It’s
Part of Our Classrooms
Growing evidence shows that when schools address mental health issues they can
boost academic achievement, reduce absenteeism, and increase graduation rates.
To help schools reap these benefits, SAMHSA has developed a variety of
materials. These include a guide for school administrators, a teacher training
package, and several other tools, all designed to help educators make mental
health a part of their classrooms.
SAMHSA
Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma (ADS Center)
This program provides practical assistance to individuals, States, and public
and private organizations in the design, implementation, and operation of
programs and initiatives to reduce discrimination and stigma associated with
mental illness. The website offers a wealth of information on how you can get
involved in reducing stigma including research findings, innovative programs,
and a series of audio training calls on such topics as reducing stigma on
campuses, working with the media and addressing stigma in diverse communities.
Challenging
Stereotypes: an Action Guide
This guide provides you with some tools to help you promote fair, accurate, and
balanced portrayals of mental illness in the media. Your voice does make a
difference.
Developing
a Stigma Reduction Initiative
This kit is designed to support the activities of those who plan to mount a
statewide, regional, or local effort to address and counter stigma and
discrimination. It is intended for use by local mental health advocates,
consumers of mental health services and their family members, community
leaders, and other organizations and individuals who have dedicated themselves
to eliminating the barriers of stigma and discrimination faced by people with
mental illnesses.
Mental
Health: It’s Part of All of our Lives/Salud Mental: Parte de Nuestra Vida
This bi-lingual publication provides basic information on mental health
problems and the stigma associated with them.
SAMHSA has asked the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) to serve as a resource for
individuals seeking assistance related to the Virginia Tech incident. In
addition, SAMHSA asked the Lifeline to include on its web site a list of
resources and educational materials that may be helpful to callers seeking
support, information, or referrals relevant to coping in the tragedy's
aftermath. These resources may be found by going to: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help/vt.aspx
Children
and Violence (National
Resources on violence by young people, as well as violence on youth.
Coping
with Traumatic Events (National
Information on mental disorders, violence, and traumatic events.
Mental Health &
Traumatic Events
A compilation of resources from SAMHSA and other agencies about mental health
and traumatic events.
National Youth Violence
Prevention Resource Center
Resources from across the federal government working on youth violence.
Understanding
Mental Illness - After the Virginia Tech Tragedy
Resources to help college students and survivors cope with traumatic
events.
Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health (1999)
www.surgeongeneral.gov/mentalhealth
Are
people with mental disorders truly more violent? Research supports some public
concerns, but the overall likelihood of violence is low. The greatest risk of violence is from those
who have dual diagnoses, i.e., individuals who have a mental disorder as well as
a substance abuse disorder. There is a small elevation in risk of violence from
individuals with severe mental disorders (e.g., psychosis); especially if they
are noncompliant with their medication….Yet to put this all in perspective, the
overall contribution of mental disorders to the total level of violence in
society is exceptionally small.
National Institute of Mental Health (2006)
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/schizophreniaviolence.cfm
A
study of adults with schizophrenia showed that symptoms of losing contact with reality,
such as delusions and hallucinations, increased the odds of serious violence
nearly threefold. The odds were only about one- fourth as high in patients with
symptoms of reduced emotions and behaviors, such as flat facial expression,
social withdrawal, and infrequent speaking.
Overall, the amount of violence committed by people with schizophrenia
is small, and only 1 percent of the
School Violence: Tips for
Coping with Stress (Centers for Disease Control)
Resources on violence prevention.
Conference
on School Safety (U.S. Department of Education)
Transcripts, videos, and resources from a conference on school safety.
National
Summit on Campus Public Safety (PDF – 466KB) (Office of Community Oriented
Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice)
A report on law enforcement strategies for colleges and universities.
School
Safety Resources for Parents, Schools, Law Enforcement Officials, and
Communities (White House)
Resources to help schools and communities prepare for and prevent school
violence.
Safe &
Drug Free Schools (U.S. Department of Education)
Resources for emergency response to violence, illness, and other issues in
schools.