HelpGuide is dedicated to Morgan Leslie Segal, who died by suicide in 1996 at the age of 29. Described as “a rare and beautiful soul,” “a rising talented writer,” and “a young woman with great intelligence and sensitivity,” Morgan nevertheless grappled with a condition that started as low self-esteem and worsened into major depression. Following Morgan’s death, her parents Robert and Jeanne Segal began sharing their grief and discovered that all too many others had experienced similar struggles. “The pain was so evident,” said Robert, “the subject so frightening, hidden, and loaded with stigma, that they don’t know where to turn.” They concluded that the best way to honor the memory of their daughter was by helping people in similar trouble by guiding them toward appropriate information and care. And so HelpGuide was born. The site was launched in 1999 by Robert and Jeanne Segal, Monika White, and the Rotary Club of Santa Monica. In the ensuing 20 years, HelpGuide has grown from a small local project to an internationally recognized mental health and wellness website that reaches over 50 million people from all around the globe each year. And through it all, our mission has remained the same: to provide empowering, evidence-based information that you can use to help yourself and your loved ones. We firmly believe that no matter what you’re going through, no matter how bad you feel—there’s hope. You are not powerless in the face of mental illness and other life challenges. Our goal is to be a trusted resource you can turn to whenever you need guidance and support.
