Read the content of this page.  Review the recommendations on to when to refer patients for more specialized interventions.

Review this guide titled "Self-Help Strategies" paying special attention to what you think might be useful for your patients.

Read section 4 "Information and Supports for Individuals and Families,"  Then, please review the section on 'Warning Signs for Onset or Relapse`(section 2.34-2.35). This will give you a good indication of what to look for in terms of when to assess mental health or substance use disorder in patients presenting for other reasons, as well as when to assess for relapses in patients with a known mental health issue or substance use disorder.

Healthy lifestyles and stress management are important aspects of well-being for those suffering from mental health or substance use disorders. This resource does a good job of teaching relaxation skills to address stress. First, navigate to the 'Relaxation Module' (pages 70-82). Perform all of the exercises, taking note of how you react to them so that you can teach those exercises when needed. Then try to offer them to someone you know (e.g., a friend, a family member, or a peer) and ask them how they feel after the exercise. Please also review the 'Lifestyle Module' (pages 101-106). The rest of the guide, which is optional reading, covers many skills that are useful in addressing depression and improving well-being. If your patient has access to the Internet, this might be a fantastic resource for them. If so, please guide them through the process of finding and reviewing the material. The 'Introduction' and the following section can help guide you in supporting your patient to use this resource.

Read the entire web page about exercise and mental health, paying special attention to the benefits and possible tips that you can give to patients who may be suffering from mental health disorders, to increase their level of physical activity.

Read the entire web page to learn about diet and mental health.

Read this entire resource titled "About BMI for Adults" to learn more about the usefulness and limitations of the BMI.

Read the following three sections in "The Role of Recovery Support Services in Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care." On p. 1, read the first two paragraphs of the "Introduction" and the 4 bullet points underneath those two paragraphs. Then, read pp. 5 - 10 covering section "IV. Recovery and Recovery Oriented Systems of Care" and section "V. "Recovery Support Services." This should give you an idea of how and why family and other support services are important when helping those with addiction problems.

"The Antidepressant Skills Workbook" allows you to consult online or download the workbook. It is a very practical guide that patients can use for mood self-management.

In "The Psychological Toolkit" review any info-sheets you feel are useful, and take a look at items that you want to learn about in more depth.

This is the "Guidelines on Overweight and Obesity: Electronic Textbook," produced by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. You can use the tabs at the top to review any sections about which you might want additional information.

Read these "Hints for Developing Exercise Plans with Depressed Patients" for GPs. There are also other links and info-sheets provided by the Black Dog Institute as supplementary resources.

Read this entire document titled "3 Steps to Initiate Discussion about Weight Management with your Patients" for some tips on how to discuss overweight and obesity issues with your patients.

Read the entire book especially the section titled "Stress Symptom Test" (pages 6-10).  This e-book is another fantastic resource to help patients through the difficulties of living with a chronic health condition of any kind. It addresses many skills that are highly relevant to general well-being, as well as supporting mental health and substance use disorder recovery. You can review this resource to help you advise your patients, or suggest it to your patients who have access to the Internet.

Read the entire guide.  This resource gives you access to a table (in metric units) to assess BMI risk levels, as well as BMI combined with waist circumference risk level. Of note, this resource explicitly states that a BMI below 18.5 is associated with a higher risk of undernutrition, malnutrition, osteoporosis, infertility and an impaired immune system.

This is a direct link to an online BMI calculator (in metric units) titled "Calculate Your Body Mass Index." Please calculate your own BMI for practice.

The free version of "Epocrates" is available both on-line or for download on mobile devices. To access it, click on the icon that says 'My Account' (towards the top right) and then register or login. It will give you access to interaction databases, drug monographs, and quick clinical guides, including many natural supplements, all for free. There might be other similar programs so if you know of another useful program please share it with us.