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Wiki - Australian Mainland

Overview (by Ben Mullings)

Like most other developed countries, Australia has experienced an expansion of interest and uptake of mental health services delivered over the Internet, in both the private and non-government sector. This period has seen the arrival of websites dedicated to psychoeducation, automated self-help systems, medication tracking, symptom reporting, and of course Internet counselling. The majority of on-line mental health services available in Australia are funded by government, research bodies, or charitable organisations. Internet counselling services however, are more often associated with private practitioners offering their services via email and chat systems for those who would otherwise not access face-to-face counselling appointments. In addition to the typical reasons why some people prefer Internet counselling services for their situation, Australians sometimes face geographic challenges that can make this mode of service delivery more attractive. This is sometimes a result of people living in rural or remote areas where it is hard to access a psychologist, or due to fly-in fly-out (FIFO) work, where continuity of psychological care can be maintained over the Internet while a person is away from home.

1. Local educational events:

To my knowledge there are few specific training courses dedicated to Internet counselling available here in Australia, however, it is becoming more common in recent years for Masters-level university courses (in Counselling Psychology for instance) to offer some familiarisation with alternative forms of service delivery. There have also been some notable examples of research projects exploring the comparative effectiveness of Internet counselling completed by Masters and PhD students in Australia.

2. Most common communication tools used in the country:

Chat systems are the usual form of communication that are utilised in Australia over the Internet. These are typically quasi-synchronous, where conversing parties enter their message then hit 'enter' to send. VOIP style audio communication is growing in popularity, however, this is limited by transmission speed limitations, particularly when sending across vast expanses. E-mail therapy does not appear to be as popular here in Australia as it is in some other parts of the world.

3. Level of access for the general population:

Around 75% of Australians have access to the Internet, however, only around 20% of the population has access to broadband. This rough figure does vary widely according to the geographic region in question. In some areas, access is limited by whether a telecommunications company is prepared to offer quality service to the region.

4. Level and examples of online mental health
services/research/education/supervision: 

In general, most practitioners providing mental health services in Australia appear to have widely recognised qualifications and registration - such as being a registered psychologist or social worker.


5. Legal/regulatory issues:
TBA

6. Insurance/payment options:
TBA

7. Languages spoken:
English (strine)

8. Relevant cultural issues:
TBA

9. Resources in the field of online mental health:

http://www.psyber.net.au/

http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/

http://depressionServices.org.au/

http://www.beyondblue.org.au/
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