eMHPrac Newsletter Vol.3, No.6, June 2021

eMHPrac Newsletter Vol.3, No.6, June 2021

Sign up below to receive monthly eMHPrac newsletters and updates about the latest digital mental health news, events, and resources.

Welcome to the June 2021 edition of the eMHPrac newsletter. This week (13 – 19 June) is Men’s Health Week, and in this edition we take a look at some of the digital mental health services designed with men’s needs in mind. On average, one in eight men will experience depression and one in five men will experience anxiety at some stage of their lives. Concerningly, men make up an average seven out of every nine suicides every single day in Australia.

Men have typically been a hard-to-reach group when it comes to mental health, but fortunately services are responding and developing resources specifically to meet the needs of this group. See below for more.

In this edition
  • Digital Mental Health Services for men
  • Refreshed and improved AIMhi Stay Strong App is live
  • ‘Beyond Now’ Suicide Safety Plan app needs your input
  • Black Dog Podcasts now available on Apple and Spotify
  • Free PD! Podcast: Using online resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health & wellbeing
  • See the eMHPrac team at these upcoming conferences
  • Read the latest dMH research articles
  • This month’s featured service: Beyond Now

Digital mental health services for men

Whilst still a growing area, Australia is fortunate to have a number of digital mental health services and resources available that have been designed with mens’ issues and needs in mind. See below:

MensLine Australia (1300 78 99 78)
  • Free online and phone counselling service for men with emotional health and relationship concerns.
  • Includes comprehensive information pages and online toolkits for a range of issues relevant to men, including relationships, being a father, and common mental health issues.
HeadGear
  • ‘The fitness app for your mental health’ – A free, easy-to-use smartphone app that guides you through a 30–day mental fitness challenge designed to build resilience and wellbeing and prevent things like depression and anxiety.
Dads in Distress *1300 853 437)
  • Free helpline for separated dads to ‘keep dads alive and in their kids lives’.
Beyond Blue – Men
  • Information for men on how to recognise and address mental health issues in themselves such as depression and anxiety.
Movember
  • Tips and advice for men on maintaining their mental health and supporting others.
R U OK? – Everyday Resources
  • Toolkits and manuals for use in a range of settings, including between mates, motor trades, sports teams and more.
Dadvice
  • Part of the Beyond Blue ‘Healthy Families’ website, Dadvice is a four-part web series providing tips and advice to new dads.
Wingman
  • Designed for gay guys, by gay guys, Wingman helps gay men to better support their mates with advice on how to have a conversation about mental health.
No To Violence (1300 766 491)
  • Telephone counselling, information and referral service for men taking responsibility for their violent behaviour (or those seeking information on behalf of male partners/ friends/family members).

Refreshed and improved AIMhi Stay Strong App is live

The refreshed and improved AIMhi Stay Strong App is now available. You can download the app for free on the App Store or Google Play store.

The latest update includes a range of new features based on user feedback and advice from community experts including:

  • Aboriginal language audio
  • Add your own photos
  • Securely share care plans across devices
  • New wellbeing measures
  • Secure export of care plan information
  • New Help and resources pages
  • Other improved functionality

This is a new version of the AIMhi Stay Strong app, and the old app is no longer supported. Keep the old app on your device to retain client files.

ATTENTION: Clinicians and healthcare workers

Are you keen and able to answer some questions about your thoughts on using the Beyond Now app with your clients/patients? The Beyond Now team are conducting a study to find out how easy Beyond Now is to use with your clients/patients, and how culturally appropriate it is.

If you would like detailed information about the study, email the researcher team either ruth.tatnell@deakin.edu.au or lachlan.james@deakin.edu.au.

Black dog institute logo

BDI Podcasts now available on Apple and Spotify

Free PD on mental health is now easier than ever to access, with BDI’s comprehensive range of podcasts now available on Apple and Spotify.

eMHPrac Webinar-based podcasts

Keeping health professionals up to date with the latest Digital Mental Health research and practical advice.

Check out eMHPrac podcasts on Apple and Spotify.

Being Well Podcast

Inspirational stories shared by people who have been challenged by and overcome experiences with mental health conditions. 

Check out Being Well on Apple and Spotify.

Expert Insights

Recorded for health professionals, Black Dog’s expert panels discuss anything and everything to do with mental health diagnosis, treatment and new ways of thinking.

Check out Expert Insights on Apple and Spotify.

Learn more here

Free PD in case you missed it…

Podcast: Using online resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing

In this podcast based on a recent webinar, Black Dog Institute partner with the WellMob team to talk about how frontline health and community workers can use digital wellbeing tools to help keep our Indigenous mob feeling ‘deadly’ (#feeling great!).

Listen now
emhprac logo

Catch us at these upcoming conferences

International Mental Health Conference

26-28 July, RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast

‘Unite with a Community Changing the Face of Mental Health’

The International Mental Health Conference is designed for professionals, workers and volunteers to learn best practice, grow meaningful connections and implement real solutions to mental health care.

On our reading radar…

Theories Informing eHealth Implementation: Systematic Review and Typology Classification

Heinsch M, Wyllie J, Carlson J, Wells H, Tickner C, Kay-Lambkin F. Theories Informing eHealth Implementation: Systematic Review and Typology Classification. J Med Internet Res 2021;23(5):e18500. URL: https://www.jmir.org/2021/5/e18500. DOI: 10.2196/18500
“Theory-guided approaches to implementation science have informed translation efforts and the acceptance of eHealth (digital health) interventions in clinical care. However, there is scarce evidence on which theories are best suited to addressing the inherent complexity of eHealth implementation.

…Of the 13,101 potentially relevant titles, 119 studies were included. The review identified 36 theories used to explain implementation approaches in eHealth. The most commonly used approaches were the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (n=33) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) (n=32). These theories were primarily concerned with individual and interpersonal elements of eHealth acceptance. Less common were theories that reflect the various disorderly social processes and structural dimensions of implementation, such as the normalization process theory (n=17) and the structuration theory (n=6).

Theories currently informing the implementation of eHealth interventions predominantly focus on predicting or explaining end-user acceptance. Theoretical perspectives that capture the dense and intricate relationships and structures required to enact sustainable change are less well represented in the eHealth literature. Given the growing acknowledgment of the inherent complexity of eHealth implementation, future research should develop and test models that recognize and reflect the multidimensional, dynamic, and relational nature of this process.”

Individualized Intervention to Support Mental Health Recovery Through Implementation of Digital Tools into Clinical Care: Feasibility Study

Carpenter-Song, E., Acquilano, S.C., Noel, V. et al. Individualized Intervention to Support Mental Health Recovery Through Implementation of Digital Tools into Clinical Care: Feasibility Study. Community Ment Health J (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00798-6

“Myriad digital tools exist to support mental health but there are multiple barriers to using these tools in routine care. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of an intervention incorporating a support role to help the clinical team identify and use technology to promote recovery.

The technology specialist intervention is 3 months in duration and comprises four stages: goal setting, researching and evaluating tools, demonstrating and selecting tools, and ongoing support.

We implemented the intervention in a community mental health center and a dual diagnosis treatment program, working with eight clients and their case managers. Clients and case managers willingly engaged with the technology specialist and found the intervention beneficial. Integration and collaboration with the care team facilitated implementation of the technology specialist in these real-world settings.

Clients reported that the intervention made it easy to try a digital tool. Six of the eight participants stated that they made substantial progress toward their goals. The technology specialist is a promising new role for mental health care delivery to augment traditional services and enhance individualized recovery.”

This edition’s featured service…

Beyond Now

The Beyond Now suicide safety planning app helps you stay safe if you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts, feelings, distress or crisis.

About Beyond Now

Beyond Now is a suicide safety planning app and website which aims to provide a platform for people to develop their own personalised safety plan. BeyondNow allows the user to develop a list of warning signs, coping strategies, reasons for living and ways to make their environment safe via either free-text entry, or by selecting from a range of suggestions. In addition, BeyondNow has in built Australian crisis phone numbers and sections for social support and professional contacts, all of which can be dialed from within the app. The app also includes a “sharing” function in which a copy of the safety plan can be shared via email with important support people.

Who is Beyond Now for?

Beyond Now is for anyone who has experienced suicidal thoughts or feelings. There is also information about Beyond Now available for health professionals and the family and friends of the user.

Is there a cost to use Beyond Now?

No, both the app and website are free to use.

How to access Beyond Now

BeyondNow can be downloaded as an app from the iTunes App Store or Google Play, or used online. No registration is required.