How To Research Mental Health Issues Online

Introduction

No matter how dedicated a doctor is about trying to keep up with the most recent medical research on mental health issues, no doctor can possibly keep up with every bit of research available. Because of this, consumers with mental health concerns or interests should make it a point to stay on top of the latest mental health research independent of their doctors. Like most medical specialties, the mental health category generates a lot of research in many different areas, so it is impossible for one person to stay on top of the latest mental health research in every mental health area.

Although some doctors take issue with patients who come to them with new information the doctor is not familiar with, most doctors appreciate having their patients taking an active role in their care. Doctors were concerned about servicing their patients to the best of their abilities while some patients who actively engage them into looking for new solutions to their issues or problems. Diligent patients have always found a way to do their own research, including going to libraries and buying medical reference books from bookstores. Today, the widespread availability of Internet access has made it easy to do the kind of research at home that once took hours to do in libraries.

Step 1

Narrow down which mental health issue you want to research. If you're looking for mental health research on a common category do online research on that category at government sites, educational sites or the official site for that category if it is separate from the government site.

Step 2

If you want an overall view of  mental health research topics, visit the US Department of health and Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH is the medical research agency of the United States and it receives the largest source of funding for medical research in the world. Because of this, the site of the NIH should be one of the first places to visit for any type of mental health research, or medical research in general. Under the umbrella of the NIH are 27 institutes and centers and each focuses on a different area of research. For mental health research, visit the The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Step 3

For mental health research for specific issues go directly to the information on that issue. for instance, for information on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), visit the The National Center for PTSD. The National Center for PTSD is a part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs division of the government. Use this site as a starting point for more in-depth research.

Step 4

Use message boards and forums to find additional information on your mental health research topic. Just about every medical issue known has at least one popular discussion board and these boards offer the kind of real person experiences that many of the official sites lack. Many of these boards are populated by the kind of people who stay on top of the latest mental health research because they have a vested interest in the findings of this research. Often the active board members are either dealing with mental health issues themselves or they are close to someone who is. Getting feedback from regular people who are dealing with the topics you are interested could provide invaluable information for your research.

Step 5

Use the librarians at the library to assist with research. These professionals may be able to guide you into the right direction to save you valuable time during your mental health research.

Tips

• To keep your various websites and discussion boards in order, in addition to bookmarking them, make a written or typed list of your most useful mental health research sites. Include notes of why each is important.
• Be sure to sign up for the discussion boards even if you don't plan to participate because as a member you will be kept up to date on any major changes in your favorite boards just in case you don't visit often.

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