The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has an extensive online store with many timely publications available. According to press releases from 2011, this store replaced the National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information, the National Mental Health Information Center, and the SAMHSA Health Information Network.
The SAMHSA Store landing page displays several of the most popular and new publications; its colorful menus and icons allow you to search publications by: issues, conditions and disorders; substances, treatment, prevention and recovery; professional and research topics; location; and series.
The types of publications include, but are not limited to: newsletters, brochures, Power Point presentations, wallet cards, reports, and full-length publications. This site offers a wide range of topics that are pertinent to substance abuse and mental health. Selecting the Spanish-worded link reveals a menu of 68 Spanish language publications. A limited number of publications are also available in other languages and you can find these by using the Advanced Search link and entering the language name as a keyword.
Some topics are more thoroughly covered than others; for example, alcohol abuse has 162 articles, depression has 70 articles; yet currently there are only 5 written on anxiety disorders and phobias, and only 4 on bipolar disorder.
Nearly all articles and publications are available for instant download; some can be shipped free of charge to any state or territory in the United States. Articles that say “Out of Stock” are typically still available for instant download. The ordering process is straightforward and easy to use. If you prefer not to create a member account, you can sign in as a guest and check out the offerings.
This website is a good resource center for health care and social service professionals, community and youth workers, and for those who work in addiction recovery. The general public will also find this site helpful in searching for information for personal reasons.
Annabel Kornblum, MPH, is a research coordinator in Minneapolis.