Mental Health & Wellness

Through a collaborative effort with the University Senate’s Benefits and Welfare Committee, the Mental Wellness Task Force promotes mental health and wellness by offering year-round resources to University of Pittsburgh faculty and staff.

Resources include Lunch and Learn series on mental, emotional, and physical health that are updated periodically, reading materials that are accessible through LifeSolutions and the University Library System, and additional resources that can be explored elsewhere on campus.

The Dimensions of Wellness and the Wellness for Life program can also help faculty and staff care for their mental health through mindful and emotional wellness with a range of practices and services. Visit the Wellness for Life page for more details.


Mental Health Resources

Monthly Family Support Group: If you have a family member or close friend with mental illness and you want to exchange stories, ideas, and resources with others who care about someone dealing with the many challenges of functioning with mental illness, please come to the Mental Wellness Task Force’s monthly confidential Family and Friends Support Group. This group is for faculty and staff who work at Pitt’s Oakland campus, so you will be among colleagues. We meet on the second Monday of each month from Noon-1 p.m. in Room 310 at the William Pitt Union—no registration required. Please feel comfortable bringing your lunch with you.  

Lunch and Learn Series: Join the Mental Wellness Task Force for a Lunch and Learn Series on health topics including stress, anxiety, depression, and more. Speakers for the series range from therapists and psychiatrists to doctors and professors, all of which bring their expertise to each topic. The Lunch and Learn Series also includes resources for you to access on your own.

Mental Wellness Book Club: With new offerings every season, the Mental Wellness Book Club gives you the opportunity to read about a topic that interests you and to have a discussion about it in a welcoming and open environment.

Employee Resources: Resources and services at Pitt are accessible to employees and their relatives to help them balance their work and personal lives, and be proactive about their mental health. Employee resources include the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), time off and leaves of absence, and the Wellness for Life program.


Additional Resources

Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical and emotional health. Find support in friends and family, as well as at Pitt, to help you stay on track to a more balanced life and make more proactive choices for your mental health. LifeSolutions also offers personalized services, including 24-hour support, counseling and coaching, and online tools for you to access on your own.

Mental Health Resources at Pitt

Online Reading Materials

  • LifeSolutions provides access to a collection of easy background reading about the science of mental health disorders as well as resources for coping such as self-assessments, online seminars, and “skill builders.” To access these resources:
  1. Visit the LifeSolutions page
  2. Click on Online Work Life Resources
  3. Click on Visit Our Work Life Portal
  4. Under the term Balancing click on Mental Health
  • The University of Pittsburgh library call number ranges beginning with RC 460 and W have books about living with mental illness yourself and with another member of the family who has a mental illness. Review these books at pittcat.pitt.edu. The University Library System also provides University faculty and staff access to databases on topics such as psychology and the related compilation of tests and measures.
  • The UPMC Healthy Lifestyle Program has great stress management tools available online. The easy to navigate modules show you techniques and demonstrate how stress affects health. In addition to these online services, the HLP conducts stress management sessions for faculty and staff. Contact hlp@upmc.edu to arrange a one-hour session or several sessions for a group of co-workers.