Privacy Policy

Welcome to Manual of Mental Disorders ("we," "us," "our," or the "Site"), available at manualofmentaldisorders.com.

We respect your privacy and are committed to handling personal information responsibly and transparently.

This Privacy Policy explains how information may be collected, used, disclosed, stored, and protected when you visit or interact with our website.

Manual of Mental Disorders is an educational and informational resource relating to mental health, mental disorders, symptoms, treatment concepts, classification systems, and related topics.

The Site does not provide medical diagnosis, medical treatment, psychotherapy, emergency services, or a substitute for consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.

Please also review our Medical Disclaimer, Editorial Policy, Medical Review Policy, and Terms of Use for additional information about the operation and use of this Site.

Privacy Contact Email: info@manualofmentaldisorders.com

This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through manualofmentaldisorders.com and services directly operated through the Site.

It does not necessarily apply to third-party websites, applications, platforms, or services that may be linked from our Site. Those third parties operate under their own privacy policies and practices.

The information collected depends on how the Site is configured and how you interact with it.

4.1 Information You Provide Directly

If the Site provides contact forms, feedback forms, newsletter subscriptions, account registration, editorial submissions, or similar functionality, we may collect information that you voluntarily provide, such as:

• Name;
• Email address;
• Information included in a message or inquiry;
• Account information, if user accounts are introduced;
• Feedback or correspondence;
• Communication preferences; and
• Other information that you intentionally provide.

4.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you access the Site, certain technical information may be generated or recorded automatically by our servers, hosting infrastructure, security systems, or authorized service providers.

This information may include:

• Internet Protocol (IP) address;
• Browser type and version;
• Device type;
• Operating system;
• Approximate geographic location derived from an IP address;
• Referring website or URL;
• Pages viewed;
• Date and time of access;
• Time spent on pages;
• Requested URLs;
• HTTP status information;
• Device or browser identifiers;
• Error and diagnostic information; and
• Security-related logs.

We may use this information for website operation, cybersecurity, troubleshooting, performance monitoring, analytics, and understanding how visitors use the Site.

Our Site contains information about mental health conditions, symptoms, treatments, and related health topics.

Merely reading or viewing mental-health-related content on the Site does not create a doctor-patient, therapist-patient, or other healthcare-provider relationship with us.

The Site is not intended to function as an electronic health record, patient portal, telehealth platform, clinical assessment system, or medical records service.

Unless a specific feature expressly requests it, please do not send us sensitive personal health information, including:

• Medical records;
• Psychiatric records;
• Diagnoses;
• Treatment histories;
• Prescription information;
• Therapy records;
• Insurance information;
• Social Security or national identification numbers; or
• Information concerning an immediate mental health crisis.

If you voluntarily include sensitive information in a message to us, we will handle it according to this Privacy Policy and applicable requirements, but users are encouraged not to provide information that is unnecessary for their inquiry.

The Site may use cookies, local storage, server-side technologies, or similar mechanisms necessary to operate, secure, analyze, or improve the website.

Cookies may include:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These may be required for functions such as:

• Website security;
• Session management;
• Load balancing;
• Fraud or abuse prevention; and
• Basic website functionality.

Analytics Cookies

If analytics services are implemented, cookies or similar technologies may be used to understand:

• Visitor numbers;
• Popular pages;
• Traffic sources;
• Website performance;
• Device and browser characteristics; and
• General usage patterns.

Advertising Cookies

The Site uses Google AdSense. Where advertising is displayed, Google and its partners may set cookies or use similar technologies to:

• Select and deliver advertisements;
• Measure advertisement performance;
• Limit how often the same advertisement is shown; and
• Detect invalid activity and fraud.

Advertising cookies are described further in the Advertising section below.

The Site uses Google AdSense, an advertising service provided by Google. Google's advertising script is loaded on pages of the Site.

As of the date of this Privacy Policy, advertisements are not displayed on the Site. The script is present so that Google can verify ownership of the Site. This section describes what applies both now and if advertising is enabled later.

Where advertising is displayed, Google and its advertising partners may use cookies, device identifiers, and similar technologies to select advertisements, measure their performance, limit repetition, and detect fraud.

Advertising may be personalised or non-personalised:

• Personalised advertising uses information about a visitor's activity, across this and other sites, to select advertisements.
• Non-personalised advertising is selected using contextual information such as the page being viewed and general location. It still involves limited data use for frequency capping, reporting, and fraud prevention.

In the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom, storing advertising cookies and using personal data for personalised advertising require consent. Where consent is required, a consent tool will be presented before such cookies are set, and visitors will be able to change or withdraw their choices at any time.

Google publishes its own description of how it uses information from sites that use its services at https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

Visitors can review and adjust Google's advertising settings at https://adssettings.google.com.

Google applies restrictions to advertising personalisation in sensitive interest categories, including categories relating to health. Those restrictions are defined and applied by Google, and are published in its advertising policies.

This Site does not provide advertisers with information that visitors submit to us, and does not use the content of messages sent to us to select advertisements.

We may use information collected through the Site to:

• Operate and maintain the website;
• Display requested webpages and content;
• Improve website functionality and usability;
• Understand website usage and performance;
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, attacks, and unauthorized access;
• Monitor technical infrastructure;
• Diagnose errors and technical issues;
• Protect the security and integrity of the Site;
• Respond to inquiries or requests;
• Manage accounts or subscriptions, if such features are introduced;
• Maintain editorial and administrative records;
• Comply with applicable legal obligations;
• Establish, exercise, or defend legal claims; and
• Protect our users, organization, systems, or third parties.

We do not intend to use information collected through the Site to make automated medical diagnoses or treatment decisions.

Where laws such as the European Union or United Kingdom data protection frameworks apply, our processing of personal information may rely on one or more appropriate legal bases, depending on the circumstances.

These may include:

• Consent, where you have provided permission for specific processing;
• Legitimate interests, such as operating, securing, improving, and protecting the Site;
• Contractual necessity, where processing is required to provide a service you requested; and
• Legal obligations, where processing is necessary to comply with applicable law.

Where processing is based on consent, you may generally withdraw that consent, subject to applicable law.

We may disclose information to third parties when reasonably necessary to operate or protect the Site.

These parties may include:

Service Providers

We may use third-party providers for services such as:

• Website hosting;
• Cloud infrastructure;
• Content delivery;
• Cybersecurity;
• Error monitoring;
• Email delivery;
• Analytics;
• Advertising and advertisement delivery;
• Database infrastructure;
• Backup services; and
• Technical support.

Service providers may process information only as permitted by applicable agreements, their applicable privacy obligations, and relevant law.

Legal and Safety Requirements

We may disclose information where we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with applicable law;
• Respond to valid legal processes;
• Comply with court orders or regulatory requests;
• Investigate fraud, security incidents, or abuse;
• Protect our legal rights;
• Protect users or third parties; or
• Prevent serious harm where disclosure is legally permitted or required.

Business Transactions

If the Site, its operator, or relevant assets are involved in a merger, acquisition, restructuring, financing, sale, or similar transaction, information may be transferred as part of that transaction subject to appropriate legal requirements.

Our Site is primarily intended to provide educational information rather than operate as a data-brokerage service. We do not sell information that visitors submit to us.

If personalised advertising is enabled, the use of advertising cookies may constitute “sharing” for cross-context behavioural advertising, and may fall within the definition of a “sale”, under some United States state privacy laws. Where those laws apply, visitors may exercise the opt-out rights described in this Privacy Policy.

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including:

• Providing requested services;
• Maintaining website operations;
• Security monitoring;
• Resolving disputes;
• Maintaining appropriate records;
• Enforcing agreements; and
• Meeting legal or regulatory obligations.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and why it was collected.

Technical and security logs may be retained for a limited period where reasonably necessary for cybersecurity, troubleshooting, auditing, or abuse prevention.

When information is no longer reasonably required, we may delete, anonymize, aggregate, or otherwise securely dispose of it.

We use reasonable administrative, organizational, and technical safeguards designed to protect information against unauthorized access, disclosure, modification, destruction, loss, or misuse.

Security measures may include, where appropriate:

• Access controls;
• Authentication controls;
• Secure infrastructure;
• Encrypted communications;
• Server and application security measures;
• Monitoring and logging;
• Software and security updates;
• Restricted database access;
• Backup procedures; and
• Incident response measures.

However, no Internet-based service, network, server, or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Users should therefore exercise appropriate caution when transmitting information over the Internet.

Our website may be accessible internationally.

Depending on the location of our operator, hosting infrastructure, service providers, and visitors, information may be processed in countries other than the country in which a visitor resides.

Where required by applicable law, we will use appropriate measures for international transfers of personal information.

Where Google advertising services are used, information may be processed by Google in the United States and in other countries in which Google or its partners operate.

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have certain rights concerning your personal information.

These may include the right to:

• Request access to personal information held about you;
• Request correction of inaccurate information;
• Request deletion of certain personal information;
• Request restriction of certain processing;
• Object to certain processing;
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• Request a portable copy of certain information;
• Opt out of certain sales, sharing, profiling, or targeted advertising where applicable;
• Appeal certain privacy-related decisions where applicable; and
• Submit a complaint to an appropriate data protection or privacy authority.

These rights are not absolute and may be subject to exceptions or verification requirements under applicable law.

To make a privacy request, contact us at:

Privacy Email: info@manualofmentaldisorders.com

We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

We will not unlawfully discriminate against an individual for exercising applicable privacy rights.

If California privacy law applies to our organization and its processing activities, California residents may have additional rights concerning their personal information.

Depending on applicability, these rights may include rights to:

• Know what categories of personal information are collected;
• Know the purposes for which information is collected and used;
• Know categories of third parties receiving personal information;
• Request access to certain personal information;
• Request correction;
• Request deletion;
• Opt out of certain sales or sharing;
• Limit certain uses of sensitive personal information where applicable; and
• Exercise applicable privacy rights without unlawful discrimination.

Where applicable data protection law provides additional rights to individuals in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, individuals may be entitled to exercise applicable data protection rights and lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority.

Privacy Contact: info@manualofmentaldisorders.com

The Site is intended to provide general educational information and is not designed as an online service specifically directed toward young children.

We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children under the age of 13 through features requiring the submission of personal information.

If we learn that personal information from a child has been collected in circumstances where parental consent or another legal authorization was required, we will take appropriate steps consistent with applicable law.

A parent or legal guardian who believes a child has submitted personal information may contact us at:

Email: info@manualofmentaldisorders.com

Educational mental-health content on the Site should not be interpreted as personalized medical guidance for a child or adolescent. Parents, guardians, and young people should consult appropriately qualified healthcare professionals where professional advice is needed.

The Site may contain links to:

• Government resources;
• Academic institutions;
• Medical organizations;
• Research publications;
• Crisis support organizations;
• Healthcare resources; and
• Other third-party websites.

When you follow a third-party link, you leave our Site.

We do not control the privacy, security, content, availability, or data-processing practices of independent third-party websites.

We encourage users to review the privacy policies of third-party services before providing personal information to them.

The Site may provide links or references to crisis resources for informational and safety purposes.

We do not operate third-party emergency services, crisis hotlines, healthcare organizations, or emergency response organizations unless expressly stated otherwise.

Interactions with an external crisis service are governed by that organization's own privacy practices and terms.

The Site itself is not an emergency response service and should not be used to submit emergency requests.

If you contact us by email, we may retain your email address, message, and related information as reasonably necessary to respond, maintain records, prevent abuse, or comply with applicable obligations.

If the Site later introduces newsletters or marketing communications, users will be given applicable choices regarding those communications, including an unsubscribe mechanism where required.

The Site is not intended to use personal information to make automated decisions concerning:

• Mental health diagnoses;
• Medical treatment;
• Eligibility for healthcare;
• Employment;
• Insurance;
• Credit; or
• Other similarly significant decisions about individuals.

Personalised advertising, if enabled, involves profiling for the purpose of selecting advertisements. That profiling is carried out by Google and its advertising partners, and is not used by us to make any of the decisions listed above.

If functionality involving automated decision-making or profiling for other purposes is introduced later, this Privacy Policy will be reviewed and updated as appropriate before such functionality is deployed.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

• Changes to the Site;
• New features;
• Changes to our data practices;
• New service providers;
• Security developments;
• Regulatory or legal requirements; or
• Other operational changes.

When we make changes, we will update the Last Updated date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

Where required, we may provide additional notice regarding material changes.

Visitors are encouraged to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

Questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or our handling of personal information may be directed to:

Manual of Mental Disorders

Website: manualofmentaldisorders.com

Privacy Email: info@manualofmentaldisorders.com