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In this edition:

• Enhancements to the national Head to Health website
• MindSpot GP integrates eFriend into service
• Orygen seeking participants for Momentum Study
• Findings from Australian Burden of Disease Data
• Live Webinars from Black Dog Institute
• Recent blogs:
  • “PD On-The-Go: The Education Podcasts for Mental Health Professionals That You Should Know About”
  • “Social Prescribing”
  • “Healthy Sleep Routines for Our Mob”
• See the eMHPrac team at these upcoming conferences
• Read the latest dMH research articles
• This month’s featured service: My Circle

The national Head to Health website has introduced updates to improve help seekers’ experiences when accessing digital or online mental health support. Recognising the diversity in help-seeking preferences, the website now offers alternative pathways for individuals to explore the website and connect with mental health services that are right for them. Help seekers can now explore content and services based on how they are feeling, and connect with services tailored to the selected emotion.  It’s now easier for help seekers to find what they are looking for, thanks to features like commonly searched words, smarter search, and displaying results that are similar in meaning to the words searched for. These are just a handful of the new updates to improve user experience, check out the updates now.

Western Australia based service, MindSpot GP, has recently announced a new partnership with Independent Community Living Australia (ICLA) and their telehealth eFriend (peer-support) initiative. The goal of this partnership is to explore how a clinical service (MindSpot) can work in parallel to a peer-support service (eFriend) and the impacts on consumers’ engagement and outcomes. These questions are the subject of a clinical trial which will run via MindSpot GP for the next 18 months.

The Orygen Digital team is conducting the Momentum study to assess a digital platform aimed at improving social functioning in young people at ultra-high risk for psychosis. Eligible participants are those aged 14–27 who are experiencing symptoms and/or have a family history that elevates the risk of developing a psychotic disorder compared to the general population. The study will offer a comprehensive support system including therapeutic guidance and peer interaction. Health professionals with potential referrals are encouraged to contact the study coordinator for more information.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has unveiled findings from the 2023 Australian Burden of Disease Study, revealing a concerning 33% increase in the burden attributed to anxiety conditions over the past two decades. The study’s data further indicates that mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and bipolar affective disorder, predominantly affect young Australians, especially those within the 15-24 age group.

“Simple strategies for living well with Adult ADHD”

When: Online, Tues 23 April 12.30pm AEST and Tues 23 April 6pm AEST

The Black Dog Institute team will look at neuroaffirming strategies that ADHD adults can use to live well with ADHD. Dr Sarah Barker is a clinical psychologist who is interested in approaches to living well with ADHD to increase wellbeing. This webinar is hosted by Dr Jan Orman MBBS MPsychMed. Jan is a Sydney GP with a special interest in mental health and psychological medicine.

“Screening and Early Interventions for people living with Eating Disorders”

When: Online, Thurs 9 May 1pm AEST and Thurs 9 May 8pm AEST

RACGP CPD Approved Activity – 1 CPD hour – Educational Activities

Eating disorders have low rates of early detection and intervention when both are needed for the best outcomes. The evidence base shows that a multi-disciplinary team including the patient’s GP is needed to facilitate recovery. This seminar will explore the role of the GP within these teams and provide information on available supports – introducing the new InsideOut GP Hub & Tools which will compliment and support GPs in their role which includes early identification, intervention and management.

Explore our weekly blogs…

“‘PD’ On-The-Go: The Education Podcasts for Mental Health Professionals That You Should Know About”

How Australian podcasts can provide convenient credible information and professional knowledge to health professionals.

“Social Prescribing”

A guest blog by Jan Orman, a GP from Black Dog Institute discussing what social prescribing is and the role it can play in mental health care.

“Healthy Sleep Routines for Our Mob”

A guest blog by Angela Sheridan from WellMob on the importance of healthy sleep habits and how to build healthy sleep habits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

AddictionZ

29 April – 1 May 2024, BJW Marriott Gold Coast, QLD

Presentation and Trade exhibit

Breaking the barriers. The A to Z of addiction trends and treatments.

See eMHPrac’s Senior Training Facilitator Carol Purtell present on “Building a Digital Mental Health Toolkit for Practitioners Working with Substance Use and Addiction” and visit the eMHPrac team at their trade exhibit.

The National Suicide Prevention Conference

30 April – 2 May 2024, Adelaide Convention Centre, SA

Trade exhibit

Collective. Courage. Accelerate. Impact.

Visit the eMHPrac team at their trade booth.

General Practice Conference & Exhibition (GPCE)

24-26 May 2024, ICC Sydney, NSW

Presentation and Trade exhibit

See Dr Jan Orman present and visit the eMHPrac team at Black Dog Institute at their trade exhibit.

The Potential Influence of AI on Population Mental Health

Ettman, C. K., & Galea, S. (2023). The Potential Influence of AI on Population Mental Health. JMIR Mental Health, 10, e49936. Doi: 10.2196/49936

Effectiveness of Technology-Based Interventions for School-Age Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Wong, K. P., Qin, J., Xie, Y. J., & Zhang, B. (2023). Effectiveness of Technology-Based Interventions for School-Age Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. JMIR Mental Health, 10, e51459. Doi: 10.2196/51459

Perceptions of client stories in internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy: A mixed-methods evaluation

Hadjistavropoulos, H. D., Hill, T. G., Philipp-Muller, A. E., Dear, B., & Titov, N. (2023). Perceptions of client stories in internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy: A mixed-methods evaluation. Internet Interventions, 34, 100692. Doi: 10.1016/j.invent.2023.100692

About the My Circle

My Circle is a clinically moderated peer support platform from Kids Helpline offering 24/7 support to young people across Australia. It provides a safe, confidential space to support good mental health among young people.

Read our blog delving into the My Circle here.