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PHCRED Strategy: APHCRI update

APHCRI Conversations

26 August 2009, Canberra
Attended by Libby Kalucy, PHC RIS

The series of Conversations with APHCRI conducted each month in Canberra provide a great opportunity for policy advisors to meet leading researchers in a receptive friendly atmosphere. On 26 August 2009 it was the turn of Professor Helen Christensen, Director of the Centre for Mental Health Research at ANU to discuss her research into internet programs to deliver population-based early intervention and prevention programs that target youth anxiety and depression.

Systematic reviews have shown that the internet is an effective and feasible platform for delivering preventive programs. Helen described a prevention trial with using MoodGYM for web-based CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy). Her presentation illustrated a framework for e-health approaches for anxiety and depression, from prevention and self help through to clinical medicine where GPs can use web tools in their face to face sessions, or virtual clinics can treat people with established disease. Young people choose e-health applications because there is no stigma, the environment is mediated, engaging and supportive of help seeking behaviour, and many prefer not to have face to face contact. The internet is also well suited to people with impaired hearing, disabilities or social phobias. Developing countries with scarce mental health workforce resources are very high users of sites like MoodGYM. As such sites are highly automated, the high initial cost decreases as the number of users increase.

Helen concluded that e-health is prominent in policy in the 4th Mental Health Plan, the Hospital Reform Commission, the National Primary Health Care Strategy, Preventative policy and the Vision for e-health 2020. The reform documents also emphasise the importance of conducting research that is relevant to policy and to practice, and disseminating this research to policy advisors. The number of questions at this session showed how relevant the research was, and how useful the occasion was for dissemination.

Helen Christensen’s presentation is available on the APHCRI website, along with presentations from previous APHCRI conversations at <www.anu.edu.au/aphcri/Conversations/>