Mental and Emotional Health
For crisis or emergency health information, please see our main Crisis Resources page. If you don’t require immediate assistance, resources and information are provided below to support your overall emotional health.
Mental health affects our emotional, psychological and social well-being. According to the CDC, over 11% of adults have regular feelings of worry, nervousness or anxiety. There are numerous resources available, both locally and commercially, that can assist you in coping with stress, anxiety, loneliness, overwhelm and other life experiences that may inevitably occur. While this list is not comprehensive, the Joint Department hopes these tools will help provide guidance in support of helping you achieve emotional well-being.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs provides free mobile applications that are downloadable for iOS and Android. These apps were originally developed to support veterans with PTSD, but the apps can be used for a variety of needs and are available to anyone who would like to use them. In particular, the Mindfulness Coach app has received over 6,000 nearly 5-star reviews and can assist with reducing stress, decreasing symptoms of anxiety and depression, helping with negative thoughts and emotions and providing coping tools for chronic pain and chronic health problems.
Mindfulness Coach is a free, easy-to-use mobile application. It was first released in 2014 by the VA, and a redesigned and updated version was released in 2018. Mindfulness Coach helps you learn about and implement mindfulness, which is a practice that means paying attention to the present moment without judgment. When you practice mindfulness, you bring focused awareness to a present moment, sensation, thought or feeling without holding onto it or trying to change it.
Headspace for Students is a special pricing plan for the Headspace app, which is a mobile application that uses science-backed meditation and mindfulness tools to help you create life-changing habits to support your mental health. Headspace typically costs $69.99 a year (or $12 per month), but with a student pricing plan, the cost is drastically reduced to $9.99 per year.
During the pandemic, Headspace also provided a Headspace for Work toolkit with some quick resources for support while at work. Non-student users can get a free 14-day trial for Headspace, but if you’re not ready to commit to a monthly subscription, there are some free resources through their blog:
- Resources for stress and anxiety
- Sleepcasts for insomnia and rest
- Guided introduction to meditation
- Mindfulness support and information
- Quick link to all Headspace articles
The Calm app provides a large repository of resources for sleep, meditation and relaxation. Calm provides a discounted annual student rate of $8.99 per year for any student with an Amazon Prime Student account. All other subscribers can try Calm for free using their introductory trial.
Additionally, Calm provides free content within the app. A small “lock” icon appears on any content that requires a subscription, but be sure to scroll around to find the “play” icon for free content. There are also a large number of free sleep soundscapes that can assist with helping you fall asleep, especially if you struggle with insomnia.
Other free content from Calm:
- The Ultimate Anxiety Toolkit
- Mental Fitness Training Guide
- Calm Intention Cards
- Calm Intention Guidebooks
- Gratitude Masterclass Toolkit
- Daily Gratitude Journal
- Managing Stress Workbook
- Peak Performance Masterclass for focus
- Happiness Hacks and Happiness Journal
- Creative Living Beyond Fear Masterclass
- Mindful Eating Masterclass and Reflection Journal
- Mindful Sleep Journal
- Mindfulness Journal for planning your week
- A link to all Mindfulness Resources, including the free Calm Calendar
Wolfpack Wellness serves as the university’s hub for all things wellness. Many of the resources listed below can be also be found through Wolfpack Wellness.
Academic and Student Affairs continuously updates Pack Essentials to connect you to resources you may need to support your material or physical needs.
Visit the Counseling Center Website or call 919.515.2423 (24 hours a day)
- Offers individual, group and couples psychotherapy and psychiatry with specialized services for substance abuse, eating disorders and trauma.
- Offers consultation for faculty and staff.
- Offers outreach programming on mental health issues, stigma reduction and personal and academic success.
Wolfpack Wellness provides an Employee Wellness Toolkit that contains a variety of self-guided wellness assessments.
Wolfpack Wellness also lists additional resources here, including an events calendar at the bottom of the page that lists fun or relaxing events on campus.
Visit the Women’s Center Website or call 919.515.2012
Offers workshops and programs on social justice, body image, gender-based violence and other “hot topics” related to gender equity.
Visit the NC State GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) Website or call 919.513.9742
- Offers diversity programming for students, faculty, and staff via Project SAFE.
- Offers support for members of GLBT community and allies, including Google TalkBin text line: 919.648.1793
Visit NC State Student Health Services Website or call 919.515.2563
The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) center is a mental health provider for UNC students and Postdocs. The center is strongly committed to addressing the mental health needs of a diverse student body through timely access to consultation and connection to clinically appropriate services.
CAPS can be accessed 24/7 by phone: 919.966.3658
The Heels Care Network is a central resource hub for all Tar Heels — undergraduate, graduate and professional students, and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff — to come together in support of each other and access the many mental health and well-being resources at Carolina.
The Mental Health Resources Hub has many resources available to help connect you to the right place for assistance.
The UNC Student Wellness site provides many resources and links to mental health support. Additionally, Student Wellness provides workshops and recorded webinars on a variety of well-being topics, including:
- Self Care 101 Webinar
- Financial Wellness for Students on Limited Budget Webinar
- Financial Wellness 101 Webinar
- First Step in Your Career Journey Webinar
- Career Wellness 101 Webinar
The UNC Human Resources Department offers multiple resources for employee wellness, including guided mindfulness, webinars, workshops and small meditation breaks. Check the HR Events Calendar for upcoming webinars and other virtual programs for mental health support.
Wellness Wednesday Webinars
Wellness webinars are led by experts each month. Sessions are 45-60 minutes. Upcoming sessions are listed in the HR Events calendar, above.
Pre-Recorded Webinars
- Emotional Intelligence Webinar
- Managing Staff Through Stressful Situations Webinar
- Unconscious Bias Webinar
The LGBT Center at UNC has staff available to meet with people individually to discuss issues related to identity development, relationships, family, academics and allyship. The center also provides educational programs and online resources for self-guided information.
The Carolina Women’s Center contributes to making the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill a more inclusive environment by celebrating achievements toward gender equity and by ensuring there are no gender-based barriers to success. We serve the entire campus community of students, faculty, staff and postdoctoral fellows.
The Women’s Center has both programming and resources that support the mental health and physical wellbeing of women on campus.
Safe at UNC is the main portal at UNC-Chapel Hill for resources and information about discrimination, harassment, sexual violence, interpersonal violence and stalking.
The portal includes an Emotional Support Services list of emotional support services at the university for victims and survivors.