The Onslow County Health Department emphasized mental- and behavioral-health supports as part of holiday preparation and outreach.

Dominique Van Pelt described common holiday stress symptoms — headaches, changes in sleep and appetite, and difficulty making decisions — and framed stress as sometimes helpful but often harmful when it compounds other pressures. To manage stress she recommended small practices such as journaling, practicing gratitude, walking with family and brief breathing exercises. She demonstrated a paced breathing technique: "breathe in for 4 seconds, hold it for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds, and hold on to that for 4 seconds."

Van Pelt also advised community members who are concerned about someone else to offer presence rather than trying to "fix" the problem, suggesting shared activities and gentle support. For people in crisis she encouraged use of the national 988 crisis line: "dialing 988 is a suicide prevention hotline," she said, and provided the county health department location (612 College Street, Downtown Jacksonville) and phone number (910-347-2154) for non-emergency follow-up and referrals.

The department asked residents to reach out to local health staff for appointments and noted that community health teams can connect callers to appropriate services.