Health advocates call on Federal Government to utilise technology to fight mental illness saying digital services are 'vastly underused'

Mental health advocates are urging the Federal Government to make better use of technology-based mental health services, saying they are cheap, effective, but vastly underused.

The Federal Government is considering reforms to the sector and is soon expected to deliver its response to the National Mental Health Commission's review of programs and services.

Mental health professionals have called for e-mental health services to be made a core part of the system.

The Black Dog Institute estimates that while e-mental health services could benefit 600,000 Australians, just 30,000 use them.

E-mental health programs include services delivered through digital mechanisms - such as phones and computers - which allow users to prevent, treat and recover from mental illness.

E-mental health services cost as little as $2 per user

It is estimated 300,000 people a month use the website Reach Out, which provides advice on mental illness at a cost of just $2 per user.

Professor Helen Christensen from the Black Dog Institute - a pioneer in the field - said e-health services cost a fraction of traditional mental health therapies, and could be used at any stage of mental illness.

"To give you an example, people who have a small number of symptoms, who would never meet diagnostic criteria, could easily benefit from some of the automated e-health psychological techniques that are available," Professor Christensen said.

"Somebody with psychosis, whilst not being cured of all of their psychosis, by an e-mental health intervention, can learn to manage their condition better."

Professor Christensen said while Australia had been a leader in developing e-mental health services, it had failed to commercialise them and embed them in the health system.

"I think policymakers recognise that they should be integrated with face-to-face services - it's just how you get there," she said.

"I think the sector, which consists of most of the organisations who provide this, would like to see leadership on how we can all work together.

"We have lots of ideas about to do that, but at the moment Australia is a country where a lot of innovation stops once you've actually had the initial proof of concept.

"We don't actually go the next step and we'd really like to see that happen now for e-mental health services."

Social media 'powerful' way of delivering mental health message

The Reach Out website, developed in 1998, was one of the earliest e-mental health services.

Youth engagement coordinator Rosie Swanton said the website had been further developed to include the use of social media and apps to promote better mental health.

"Generally social media gets a pretty negative rap, but what we see here at Reach Out is that it's actually a really powerful way of getting mental health messages across to people who may not otherwise engage with mental health messaging," Ms Swanton said.

"They're much more willing to engage with us through these kind of conversational channels rather than having to go access a serious mental health service."

Reach Out is not a clinical service, but provides advice on mental illnesses, issues like sexuality and bullying, monitored forums, and information on seeking professional help.

Volunteer Sophie Sauerman said she found it invaluable when her life was turned upside down in high school when her sister developed an eating disorder.

"I found myself getting really frustrated because I just couldn't understand why she just wouldn't eat food," said Ms Sauerman.

"I was like, it's so simple, you know, just eat food - it's not a big deal.

"I didn't feel justified going to a psychologist to basically say, 'hi, what's anorexia and how can I help my sister?'

"Reach Out was really, really great as a kind level between going to a psychologist."

E-mental health sites 'safe, effective'

The site aims to intervene early in the onset of mental illness, and Reach Out volunteer Isabella Merrilees-White said she also used it in high school to help her and her friends who were struggling but were reluctant to talk to professionals.

"Particularly as a teenager...it's hard to say, 'I'm in a lot of trouble, I really do need some help'," Ms Sauerman said.

"It's a lot easier to say, 'oh, I'm not feeling good, I'll check out this website because I can do it on my phone and it's free and it's not something that anyone else has to know about'."

Reach Out's chief executive Jono Nicholas said the site was accessed by 300,000 people a month, and costs just $2 per user.

"That evidence is clear that online services are effective; they're safe," Mr Nicholas said.

"Australia is a world leader in that and Reach Out is one of those services that are leading the world, and most importantly, it's not a binary choice. It's not about replacing a psychologist, or less socia6l workers. It's about giving people the option to help themselves first, to understand their issues better. And then if they want and need to talk to someone, those services are available."