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

In this edition:

• Updates to eMHPrac’s brochures
• New report on Digital Childhoods released
• BPD Awareness Week
• eMHPrac Podcast – How digital mental health can help strengthen client-practitioner relationships
• Live webinars from Black Dog Institute
  • “Online experiences and adolescent mental health”
  • “How online resources are changing mental health care around the world”
  • “SMS for Dads”
• Recent blogs:
  • “Deep dive on digital treatments for adults with depression”
  • “Assessing the safety and quality of digital mental health apps”
  • “How smartphones can actually help improve sleep health”
• See the eMHPrac team at these upcoming conferences
• Read the latest dMH research articles
• This month’s featured service: THIS WAY UP Insomnia Program

We’re excited to announce the release of our newly updated brochures:

• Digital Mental Health Resources for Adults
• Digital Mental Health Resources for Adolescents (12-17)
• Digital Social and Emotional Wellbeing Resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

These updates include new services, refreshed design, and improved categories to make it even easier to find the support your clients need. You can print them yourself or order hard copies from our website.

The Digital Childhoods Summit report offers crucial insights into the digital experiences of children in Australia. With discussions around social media bans for young people gaining traction, this report is a timely resource for health practitioners and stakeholders. Covering safety, inclusion, health, wellbeing, and digital futures, it highlights key outcomes from the summit attended by government, industry, and community leaders.

The first week of October marked BPD Awareness Week, with the theme “Living Life Well: Recovery & BPD.” This week focused on fostering conversations around recovery and offering support for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder. Health practitioners are encouraged to continue exploring tools that support recovery, including digital resources for trauma, which can complement face-to-face treatment. Explore our factsheet on digital mental health resources for trauma here.

How digital mental health can help strengthen client-practitioner relationships: On the Ground with Dr Bianca Cannon

General Practitioner Dr Bianca Cannon shares her journey using digital mental health with clients and what happens when we challenge the fears we might have around incorporating digital tools into practice.

In this episode Dr Cannon talks about the techniques and skills that health practitioners already have to help their clients get the greatest benefit from digital mental health. We discuss the role that motivational interviewing plays when it comes to selecting the right candidates for digital mental health interventions.

Listen or watch the full episode now on our website, or you can search, subscribe, and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

“Online experiences and adolescent mental health”

When: Online, Thur 24 Oct 1pm AEDT and Thur 24 Oct 7pm AEDT

Screen-based devices play a central role in adolescents’ daily lives, serving purposes such as education, entertainment, social interactions, and creativity. While public concern about the impact of screen use on adolescent mental health has grown, evidence of a direct link remains unclear. The association between screen use and mental health is complex, influenced by many factors. This webinar will report on new data about this association based on an analysis of the data provided by Australian adolescents currently enrolled in the Black Dog Institute’s Future Proofing Study. These findings will be framed within the broader context of screen use research and offer recommendations for both societal and individual changes to help adolescents benefit from online experiences while reducing potential harms.

“How online resources are changing mental health care around the world”

When: Online, Tues 29 Oct 12.30pm AEDT and Tues 29 Oct 6pm AEDT

eMHPrac (e mental health in practice) Project Director Heidi Sturk recently spoke at the 12th Annual Scientific Meeting International Society for Research on Internet Interventions (ISRII) in Limerick, Ireland. She returned with a lot of exciting news about what’s going on internationally in the digital mental health space.

In this webinar, Dr. Jan Orman will speak with Heidi Sturk about the conference learnings and some of the developments she found most exciting. It seems there is a lot happening and talking to Heidi will help us all keep up!

“SMS for Dads”

When: Online, Thurs 14 Nov 12.30pm AEDT and 6pm AEDT

Newborns are wonderful things, but their arrival can cause enormous upheaval for their parents. Dads as well as Mums and other parents are at risk of psychological distress in the neonatal period. In this webinar, Dr Jan Orman will be joined by Associate Professor Richard Fletcher from the School of Health Sciences at the University of Newcastle.  Richard leads the Fathers and Families Research Program and is the founder of SMS for Dads, an app designed to provide support for Dads until their baby is one year old.

We will talk about why fathers need support and how this app goes about providing it.

Explore our weekly blogs…

“Deep Dive on Digital Treatments for Adults with Depression”

Taking a look at the digital treatment options introducing new, accessible avenues to Australian adults for managing depression.

“Assessing the Safety and Quality of Digital Mental Health Apps: A Guide for Health Professionals”

What to look out for when choosing a good quality digital mental health app to recommend to a patient or client.

“How Smartphones Can Actually Help Improve Sleep Health”

Digital mental health tools that patients and clients can use to improve their sleep quality and address sleep problems.

International Mental Health Nursing Conference

30 October – 1 November 2024, Perth, WA

Presentation and Trade Exhibit

The aim for the 48th ACMHN is to create an environment that is conductive to sharing knowledge, relationship building, and collaborative practice.

See eMHPrac’s Directory Heidi Sturk present on “Building mental health nursing workforce capability to utilise digital mental health” and visit the eMHPrac team at their trade exhibit.

Rural Mental Health Conference

6-8 November 2024, Cairns, QLD

Presentation and Trade Exhibit

Connecting communities and breaking barriers to forge pathways to inclusive rural wellbeing.

See eMHPrac’s Director Heidi Sturk present and visit the eMHPrac team at their trade exhibit.

STOP Domestic Violence Conference

25-27 November 2024, Adelaide, SA

Presentation and Trade Exhibit

Stronger Together: Bridging Silos and Building Change

See eMHPrac’s Director Heidi Sturk present and visit the eMHPrac team at their trade exhibit.

A national evaluation of a multi-modal, blended, digital intervention integrated within Australian youth mental health services

Alvarez‐Jimenez, M., Nicholas, J., Valentine, L., Liu, P., Mangelsdorf, S., Baker, S., … & Cross, S. P. (2024). A national evaluation of a multi‐modal, blended, digital intervention integrated within Australian youth mental health services. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.

A systematic review and meta analysis on digital mental health interventions in inpatient settings

Diel, A., Schröter, I. C., Frewer, A. L., Jansen, C., Robitzsch, A., Gradl-Dietsch, G., … & Bäuerle, A. (2024). A systematic review and meta analysis on digital mental health interventions in inpatient settings. npj Digital Medicine, 7(1), 253.

Behavior Change Techniques Within Digital Interventions for the Treatment of Eating Disorders: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Thomas, P. C., Curtis, K., Potts, H. W., Bark, P., Perowne, R., Rookes, T., & Rowe, S. (2024). Behavior Change Techniques Within Digital Interventions for the Treatment of Eating Disorders: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JMIR Mental Health, 11, e57577.

About THIS WAY UP Insomnia Program

Our featured service for October is the THIS WAY UP Insomnia program, an online treatment course for people managing chronic sleep difficulties. The program is accredited with the National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards, teaching effective, step-by-step strategies for managing chronic sleep difficulties.

Read our blog delving into the THIS WAY UP Insomnia Program here.