Mental Health


If you are experiencing a mental health emergency:

  • Urgent same day appointments available at Psychological & Counseling Services
    • Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm
    • Call (603) 862-2090 (Relay NH: 1-800-735-2964) and ask to be scheduled for an “Urgent Same-Day Appointment” or request to speak with the on-call clinician.  

  • Students in crisis after 5 pm or on weekends 

    • Call (603) 862-2090 (Relay NH: 1-800-735-2964) and press 0 to speak with a counselor.  

  • 24/7 Text Support

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  • Call UNH Police at 911.  

  • You can also call 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Getting Help at UNH  

Health & Wellness and Psychological and Counseling Services (PACS) serve as the primary on-campus providers for mental health and illness.  

Appointments at Health & Wellness 

  • Online 

  • Call (603) 862-9355

  • In-person at Health & Wellness  

Services at Health & Wellness  

All services are confidential and available to students who have paid their tuition and health fee.  

  • Clinicians who can diagnose common mental illness, particularly depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. 

  • Referrals from a Health & Wellness medical provider or PACS to see the psychiatrist who can diagnose and treat mental illness.  

  • The UNH Eating Concerns Treatment Team offers comprehensive care with our medical team, psychiatrist, nutrition counselor, and clinicians from PACS. 

  • Wellness coaching helps enhance emotional wellness by learning how to skillfully care for your well-being and emotional wellness to prevent mental illness.  

  • Substance use education/counseling for support regarding use of alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, and other drugs. 

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What’s ADHD?

ADHD is a brain-based condition that affects focus, impulse control, and activity levels. Symptoms usually show up before age 12 and can impact school, work, and relationships.

Already Diagnosed?

If you're already being treated for ADHD, stick with your home doctor unless:

  1. You were just diagnosed.
  2. You're switching your primary care to UNH Health & Wellness (e.g., grad students).

Need ADHD Services at UNH?

You’ll need to submit official documentation from a licensed provider (psychiatrist, psychologist, or neurologist). This must include:

  • Full evaluation and treatment history
  • Diagnosis details and symptom history
  • Info from parents/teachers showing symptoms in different settings
  • Medication history
  • How ADHD affects your daily life

Note: Online quizzes or self-reports don’t count.

If you’ve had ADHD treatment since before age 12 and have solid records, you might not need new testing.

Just a heads-up: Health & Wellness doesn't do initial ADHD diagnoses. If you're thinking about getting evaluated for ADHD, we'll connect you with PACS or a local provider who can help with that. Once you've had your assessment and want to explore medication options through Health & Wellness, our UNH clinician will check out your paperwork. They'll make sure everything meets the standards needed to prescribe ADHD medication.

How to Submit Docs

  • Upload via the UNH Health & Wellness portal
  • Fax: 603-862-4259
  • Mail: 4 Pettee Brook Lane, Durham, NH 03824
  • Drop off at the Health & Wellness front desk

Getting Treatment

  • Once your records are reviewed, you may be scheduled for an intake.
  • You’ll need follow-up visits every 3 months to continue medication.
  • If you have other mental health concerns (like anxiety, depression, substance use), medication may not be prescribed.
  • Therapy (individual or group) is highly recommended to help manage symptoms.

Drug Screening

You might be asked to do a urine drug test before starting or continuing stimulant meds—this is for safety.

Medication Agreement

Before starting stimulants, you’ll sign a contract that covers:

  • What the meds do
  • Risks and side effects
  • Your responsibilities (including not sharing or selling meds—serious legal consequences!)

Need Academic Support?

Reach out to Student Accessibility Services (SAS):
unh.edu/diversity-inclusion/student-accessibility

  • Emotional Wellness  
    Being kind to yourself as you recognize and experience a wide range of emotions is emotional wellness.  

  • Mental Health  
    Just like physical health, we all have mental health. Mental health is your psychological state that fluctuates with daily living. Healthy emotional responses  
    are feeling nervous about an upcoming exam or sad after a loss. 
     

  • Stress 
    When something you care about is at stake you enter your stress response. Learning how to skillfully cope with and move through stress will enhance your mental health.  
     

  • Mental Illness  
    When challenging emotions persist and prevent you from fully participating in your life, you may be experiencing a mental illness. The two most common mental illnesses at UNH are anxiety (persistent fear) and depression (persistent sadness).  

  • Mental Illness in College  
    Adolescence and young adulthood are common periods for the first manifestation of mental illnesses, attributed to factors such as ongoing brain development, hormonal changes, genetic predisposition, new environments, the societal pressures of transitioning from adolescence to adulthood, and trauma. This is helpful for more fully understanding how mental health and illness impact young adults. 

 

These are some common symptoms that can appear when your mental health is challenged:  

  • Physical
    Increased tension, upset stomach, or frequent headaches. 

  • Mental  
    Struggle with concentrating, focusing, or remembering things. 

  • Emotional
    Feel highly sensitive, reactive, irritable, or easily overwhelmed. 

  • Behavioral 
    Shifts in your eating, movement, or sleep patterns, not going to class, or finding yourself frequently zoning out on your phone or with substances.  

Helpful coping skills include:  

  • Label Your Emotions  
    Use the to help you expand your vocabulary of Moods. Ask yourself, “How am I feeling?” “What would be helpful? What do I need?” 

  • Emotional regulation by 

    • Getting social support  

    • Practicing gratitude  

    • Setting boundaries with yourself and others  

    • Getting consistent sleep, 7 days/week  

    • Taking a digital detox  

    • Doing things that are pleasurable  

  • Conserving or replenishing energy by  

    • Eating nourishing meals  

    • Drinking water  

    • Resting  

    • Engaging in joyful body movement  

    • Taking study breaks  

    • Avoiding or limiting substance use  

You can use the UNH Well-Being Wheel to brainstorm other ways to care for yourself.  

Symptoms that persist for two weeks or more indicate that it is time to get professional help at Health & Wellness or PACS.  
 

  • Suicide Prevention Training 
    UNH offers one-hour suicide prevention training called QPR for the UNH community. QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) is much like CPR; they are both basic strategies to keep a person alive until they can receive medical or mental health care. 

    UNH Mental Health Campaign
    How are you – really?  is more than a greeting. It’s a check-in that lets people know you care. And, when you respond to the greeting, it’s a way for you to check-in with yourself and authentically share what you’re experiencing.  

    The Green Ribbon Campaign
    This is a student-led campaign to spread awareness of resources available to support the emotional wellness and mental health of their peers.   

  • Anxiety Disorder

  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder 
     
  • Bipolar Disorder

  • Borderline Personality Disorder

  • Depression

  • Eating Disorders

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

  • Schizophrenia

  • Social Phobia/Social Anxiety