1: PsychCentral
This site is one of the largest independent psychology websites launched in 1995, providing information, resources, & hosting over 150 support groups. It was named one of 50 Best Websites of 2008 by Time Magazine and has been recognized in many noteworthy publications.
Key sections on the psychology website are:
- Mental conditions and disorders.
- Psychological tests & quizzes.
- Ask The Therapist and Q&A.
- Medication drugs library.
- Over a dozen blogs with different focus areas.
- Latest news from the world of psychology.
- Research section with information on clinical trials.
- Resources section with 4000 links; reviewed and categorized.
- Psychology book reviews.
- Community forums & weekly live chats.
#2: American Psychological Association
With over 150,000 members, the APA is the world’s largest association of psychologists. APA has recently launched a newly redesigned psychology website that is attractive and easy to navigate.
- Psychology Topics offers a tag cloud view of popular topics or a list view of all topics. Each topic page leads to a page where you can find all related resources such as articles, press releases, books, videos, etc.
- Publications section is a gateway to APA’s vast repository of books, journals, databases, videos, software, magazines, brochures, reports, etc. You can browse by type of publication, or by subject.
- Psychology Help Center features articles and helpful information for daily emotional well-being. There are also specific interest areas for work/school, family, disasters, etc.
- Education section looks at the involvement of psychology in education from K-12 to post-graduate and lifelong learning.
- Careers section has resources for early career psychologists, professional development opportunities, as well as job-related information.
Whether you are interested in psychology as a layperson, student, researcher, or practitioner, this is a must-bookmark website.
#3: National Institute of Mental Health
NIMH is a Federal agency that conducts and supports research on mental illnesses.
The NIMH website features:
- Extensive information on mental health topics.
- Access to free NIMH publications on a host of topics from disorders to treatment.
- Information about clinical trials for both participants and researchers.
- Access to statistical information about mental disorders.
- News in the science of mental health.
#4: Wikipedia
Wikipedia, the largest, free, multi-lingual encyclopedia on the web has great informative articles on a variety of subjects in psychology. From the history of psychology and methods of psychological research to its numerous sub-fields of study, Wikipedia is a continuously updated treasure trove of knowledge.
Each page you navigate to has a wealth of resources from people to publications, all organized in a structured fashion unique to Wikipedia.
Also check out Psychology at Wikiversity, which has its own School of Psychology.
#5: Articles, Research, & Resources in Psychology
This is a psychology website managed by Ken Pope, Ph.D., offering free full-text articles from a variety of medical journals and a variety of other resources related to psychology. While there are many useful sections for laypersons, the information is invaluable for psychology professionals.
The site covers a broad range of subjects including licensing laws, regulation, ethics, medication, military related issues, suicide and sexual issues, etc. A unique feature that deserves mention is that the website is designed for people with disabilities in accordance with W3C Accessibility Guidelines.
While the sites above offer comprehensive resources for anyone even remotely interested in psychology, the following websites are useful especially for non-professionals interested in learning about psychology.
#6: WebMD Mental Health
WebMD’s Mental Health section has exhaustive information on disorders and treatment. It features Guide sections for specific disorders, with informative slideshows, latest news, and articles. All this is backed by the popular community section featuring blogs and message boards.
#7: About.com Psychology
This website is part of the About.com network, and offers easy-to-read articles on psychology. Many different topics are covered from theories and sub-fields to career and education.
#8: Psychology Today
Psychology Today is the website of the bi-monthly magazine. The site focuses on mental well-being and is geared towards therapy and treatment for mental illnesses. The content is easy-to-read and focused on non-professional laypersons.
#9: PsyBlog
Maintained by a researcher Jeremy Dean, this blog is based on scientific psychology and is one of the best individual psychology blogs. Articles focus on understanding how our minds work and why we think and act the way we do.
#10: BBC Science & Nature: The Mind
The Mind section in BBC’s Science & Nature psychology website is fun and informative to explore.