Mental Health Resources

Overview of Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety: Anxiety is a normal response to situations in which we feel threatened or concerned. In moderate degree and frequency, anxiety can keep us safe or motivate us to work harder. For millions of people, however, anxiety becomes so persistent or overwhelming that it significantly interferes with the quality of one’s life. Fortunately, excessive anxiety is treatable. Our goal is to discover ways of improving existing treatments as well as developing new ones.
Depression: Depression is a common reaction to prolonged stress or loss — for example, losing a loved one, going through a relationship ending, or losing one’s job. Depression may lead a person to feel sad, discouraged, unmotivated, or disinterested in their usual activities. Although it is common for most people to experience depression at some point in their life, symptoms that persist for more than 2 weeks and significantly interfere with daily activities may signify a more serious problem.

Given that depression and anxiety often occur together, we are studying treatment approaches that target features of both conditions.

Resources for Mental Health Emergencies

San Diego Psychiatric Emergency Response Team Call 911 or your local non-emergency police phone number and request "PERT"	Provides mental health clinician support to those in a life-threatening situation.
24-hour National Suicide Hotline Call 988	Provides support to those thinking about or actively attempting to end their life.
Crisis Text Line Text 'HOME' to 741741	Provides support to those experiencing a crisis (thoughts about suicide or self-harm, a panic attack, etc.), need help finding resources, and would like to text a crisis counselor for free.
San Diego Access and Crisis Line Call (888) 724-7240	Provides support to those in need of referrals, advice on supporting friends, and help for those who are thinking about suicide.
It's Up to Us San Diego	Provides a complete list of resources here.

Community Resources

SDSU Psychology Clinic

(619) 594-5134

Provides individual and/or group cognitive behavioral therapy for depression, trauma, phobias, panic attacks, and other anxiety-related conditions in English and Spanish.

Fees are determined on a sliding scale between $15 - $85 per session.

SDSU Center for Understanding and Treating Anxiety (CUTA)

(619) 229-3740

Provides individual and/or group cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and free support groups for anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive disorder.

Free are determined on a sliding scale and are generally reimbursable through many insurance plans.

Center for Stress and Anxiety Management

(858) 354-4077

Provides cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders including Panic, Agoraphobia, Social anxiety, specific phobia, Generalized anxiety, Post-traumatic stress, and Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Fees can be obtained by a cost estimate.

The Cognitive Therapy Institute of San Diego

(858) 450-1101

Provides cognitive behavioral therapy to treat depression, Post-traumatic stress, Obsessive, panic attacks, phobias, social anxiety, and other anxiety-related conditions.

Fees range from $65 - $250 per session depending on the modality (individual vs. group therapy) and the therapist.

Center for Community Solutions

(858) 272-5777

Provides legal services, counseling, shelter, safety planning, and education to support survivors of relationship and sexual violence and prevent future violence.

Free to San Diego County residents.

UC San Diego Resources

Counseling and Psychological Services

(858) 534-3755

Provides virtual and in-person counseling and mental health services through group and individual therapy, workshops, forums, referrals, and other programs.

Free for all registered UCSD students.

Student Health Services

(858) 534-3300

Provides referrals to community resources, mental health providers, and medical specialists.

Supports students with basic needs (e.g. housing, finances, insurance, and food) and navigating challenges at UCSD.

Free for registered UCSD students with UC SHIP and reduced fees for registered students with RAFT.

Find the full cost of services for registered UCSD students with private insurance here.

Outpatient Services

(858) 657-7000

Provides individual and group cognitive behavioral therapy, specialty care, medication management, and social services (e.g. vocational and housing assistants).

Find accepted behavioral health plans here.

Healer Education Assessment and Referral Program

Provides UCSD healthcare providers and trainees confidential stress and depression assessments and referrals to local mental health clinicians.

Integrated Behavioral Health Care

(800) 926-8273 or MyUCSDChart

Provides UCSD primary care patients with 4 different topic-focused groups/workshops (sleep, mood regulation, relationships, grief).

Contact your primary care provider to request a referral to IBH. The wait time for most clinics is about a month.

Cognitive Assessment and Risk Evaluation (CARE) Program

(619) 543-7745

Provides assessments and treatment for adolescents and young adults displaying warning signs of psychosis.

Provides opportunities to participate in their research studies.

Additional Resources

Adult Protective Services (800) 399-4661 (San Diego) 1(833) 401-0832 (California)	Serves adults 60+ and dependent adults 18+ who are unable to meet their own needs or are victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
Alcoholics Anonymous (619) 265-8762 (San Diego)	Provides free support groups and resources for people trying to achieve sobriety.
A.I.D.S. Hotline (916) 449-59007	Provides free medical care and support services from HIV specialists.
Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline (858) 560-2191 (San Diego)	Assesses and investigates reported concerns of child abuse or neglect.
Cocaine Anonymous (866) 242-2248 (San Diego)	Provides a free support group for people trying to overcome addiction to cocaine and/or other drugs.
Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (718) 932-6300	Provides a free support group for people recovering from food addiction.
Narcotics Anonymous (619) 584-1007 (San Diego)	Provides a free support group with regional activities and events for people recovering from drug addiction.
Sexual Assault Response Team (888) 385-4657	Provides a free program for victims/survivors of sexual assault looking for medical, legal, and emotional support.
Trevor Project 1(866) 488-7386 Text ‘START’ to 678-678	Provides resources and 24/7 free, confidential support for LGBTQ youth via chat and phone.
Planned Parenthood (800) 230-7526	Provides health centers specializing in reproductive health care services and sex education.

Learn More

Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
Provides information about cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of psychotherapy that is effective for many individuals with anxiety disorders. The web site includes fact sheets about various clinical problems, including anxiety disorders, and a directory of therapists who offer CBT.

Anxiety and Depression Association of America
Information and resources for individuals with anxiety disorders and their families. The website includes a directory of doctors and therapists who treat anxiety disorders, information about support groups, and other resources.

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
Organization devoted to advancing knowledge about the effects of severe stress and trauma. The website includes information for the general public such as trauma resources and public education pamphlets.

American Psychological Association
Professional organization for psychologists. The website offers a wide range of information and resources related to mental health issues, including a "find a psychologist" function.

National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH)
Provides funding for research on mental health problems such as anxiety disorders. The website provides information about mental health issues, including a listing of ongoing clinical trials for individuals who may be interested in participating in a research study.

National Social Anxiety Center (NSAC)
The National Social Anxiety Center (NSAC) is comprised of a group of regional mental health treatment clinics. It is established with the intent of making the highest quality evidence-based psychotherapy services to treat social anxiety available to those in need. We do this through research, collaboration, dissemination, and education to the public.