There is a wealth of Self Help info out there on the internet, but it can be hard to find high quality evidenced based resources.
We’ve taken the time to narrow down some of the best stuff for you. Check out the info and links in the expandable headings below!
General Health
For information about general health conditions check out these links and resources.
Medline Plus: Information about a wide range of health conditions provided by the US National Library of Medicine.
Patient info. Searchable high quality information on a range of health topics.
Better Health Channel: Great site to look up common conditions and treatments.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
While studying and in general, it's important to look after yourself and keep track of your mental health and well-being. Life takes us through ups and downs even without the added stresses that many experience with study, so learning to ride the waves is a valuable life skill that will stay with you even beyond your time at UNSW.
Anyone can benefit from learning about strategies to improve or maintain their mental health, and some aspects aren't as intuitive as you might think! Give your Uni career a head-start by informing yourself early.
Self Help Mental Health Resources
- UNSW MindHub - UNSW's centre for mental health resources. Life is full of ups and downs, to learn more how to navigate the tough times check out the great Mental Health and Wellbeing resources we've compiled here.
- Centre for Clinical Interventions - This site has heaps of great evidence-based info and workbooks on a broad range of mental health topics such as sleep hygiene, anxiety, self-compassion, perfectionism and procrastination.
Exercise and Mental Health
- Exercise and Mental Health - Did you know that regular exercise can be just as effective as therapy and medication for the treatment of mild-moderate depression? Checkout this great article about exercise and Mental Health by BeyondBlue.
- MoodActive - Mood Active is a non-profit association that runs group exercise programs for people diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety.
Alcohol and Drugs
University is a time of self-exploration and exposure to new things for many people. Experimentation with alcohol and drugs is not uncommon, but this can come with some risks. Learning more about alcohol and drugs can help minimise potential risks. Click here to learn more.
Drug use becomes problematic when it causes difficulties in day-to-day functioning, impacting on work, studies, relationships, and health. Click here for UNSW's info page on alcohol and recreational drugs and scroll down the page for useful resources.
Eating Disorders
An estimated 1,000,000 people in Australia are living with an eating disorder, with only 25% of those currently undergoing treatment. While resources are becoming more accessible (such as the recent increase in Medicare support), eating disorders are often misunderstood and left untreated for many students.
If you'd like to find out more about eating disorders, check out the links below.
Click here for UNSW's info page on eating disorders.
Butterfly Foundation - Australia's leader in eating disorder support and information. They also have a national helpline on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673), and have info sheets on topics such as how to support someone with an eating disorder.
Pregnancy and parenting
There are currently thousands of websites dedicated to the provision of parenting information. The quality of this information ranges considerably, from resources reflecting the last research evidence to those based on personal opinion. To make navigating the internet a little easier, we have compiled a range of websites that provide high quality, accessible information on a wide range of parenting topics.
Check out UNSW's Pregnancy and Parenting resources page.