Professor David Kavanagh is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and Director of Research, School of Psychology and Counselling. He is also Adjunct Professor University of Queensland, Griffith University, and University of Plymouth. Having won many awards in a distinguished career, the most recent being Education David Kavanagh is a clinical psychologist and research professor at Queensland University of Technology, and is based at the Centre for Children’s Health Research.  Over the last 10 years, his group has developed 10 web programs and 4 apps for mental health and wellbeing. He currently leads e-Mental Health in Practice (eMHPrac), which is a Commonwealth-funded project that is supporting practitioners across Australia in their use of e-mental health programs and resources. 

Presentation Title: e-Mental Health in Practice

Abstract:

Electronic devices have become a key part of most Australians’ lives, and barriers to access across age, location and socioeconomic status are rapidly disappearing. Web programs for mental health and wellbeing have gained strong and growing research support, especially when some coaching is provided. While the evidence for apps is both weaker and more limited, they have significant potential in assisting users in their own environment, regardless of whether web access is available.  Practitioners are increasingly appreciating the role that digital mental health can have in their work, but many feel daunted by the range of potential tools, their varying evidence base, and the pace at which the field is moving. Concerns over data transfer, privacy and safety remain, and many practitioners feel poorly prepared for evaluating resources and working out how best to integrate them in their practice. In effect, we are in the middle of a revolution in practice, and that inevitably is often uncomfortable, especially since practitioner education continues to leave us poorly prepared for the extent of changes we are facing. This presentation describes some federal government initiatives that may assist, including e-Mental Health in Practice. It reviews ways that practitioners can use digital mental health resources in clinical and educational settings, discussing issues and potential solutions, and giving examples of digital resources, together with instruments to help us evaluate them.