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BackgroundIt has often been reported that young people are at high risk of mental health concerns, more so than at any other time in development over their life span. The situational factors that young people report as impacting their well-being are not addressed as often: specifically, family discord. Kids Helpline, a national service in Australia that provides free counseling online and by telephone to young people in distress, report that family discord and well-being issues are one of the major concerns reported by clients. In order to meet the preferences that young people seek when accessing counseling support, Kids Helpline has designed and trialed a custom-built social network platform for group counseling of young people experiencing family discord that impacts their well-being. ObjectiveIn this exploratory study, we communicate the findings of Phase 1 of an innovative study in user and online counselor experience. This will lead to an iterative design for a world-first, purpose-built social network that will do the following: (1) increase reach and quality of service by utilizing a digital tool of preference for youth to receive peer-to-peer and counselor-to-peer support in a safe online environment and (2) provide the evidence base to document the best practice for online group counseling in a social network environment. MethodsThe study utilized a participatory action research design. Young people aged 13-25 years (N=105) with mild-to-moderate depression or anxiety (not high risk) who contacted Kids Helpline were asked if they would like to trial the social networking site (SNS) for peer-to-peer and counselor-to-peer group support. Subjects were grouped into age cohorts of no more than one year above or below their reported age and assigned to groups of no more than 36 participants, in order to create a community of familiarity around age and problems experienced. Each group entered into an 8-week group counseling support program guided by counselors making regular posts and providing topic-specific content for psychoeducation and discussion. Counselors provided a weekly log of events to researchers; at 2-week intervals, subjects provided qualitative and quantitative feedback through open-ended questions and specific psychometric measures. ResultsQualitative results provided evidence of user support and benefits of the online group counseling environment. Counselors also reported benefits of the modality of therapy delivery. Psychometric scales did not report significance in changes of mood or affect. Counselors and users suggested improvements to the platform to increase user engagement. ConclusionsPhase 1 provided proof of concept for this mode of online counseling delivery. Users and counselors saw value in the model and innovation of the service. Phase 2 will address platform issues with changes to a new social network platform. Phase 2 will focus more broadly on mental health concerns raised by users and permit inclusion of a clinical population of young people experiencing depression and anxiety. Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12616000518460; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=370381

We used a mixed-methods online survey to recruit 616 young Australians whose parents had separated, to understand their experiences and how to better support them throughout the separation process. Persistent themes included conflict, lack of communication and agency, mental health concerns, and feelings of confusion, frustration, loss, and grief. Some suggested it would have been useful to talk about reasons for the separation, their rights, opinions and feelings, with some indicating the separation process affected their ongoing mental health and relationships. There was a general preference for face-to-face counseling, closely followed by online counseling and online peer-to-peer support, indicating that a "one size fits all" approach is not suitable for young people. Young people should be offered services early in the separation process that can be extended in content to other issues such as new partners, school life and mental health, and continued beyond the timeframe of the separation process.

Online communities in health care are well established as technologies for facilitating interactions between patients with common conditions and communication between patients and health professionals. Less well known is how health professionals use these platforms to connect with their peers, particularly for interprofessional education or support. We present early results from our exploratory international mixed methods (survey and interview) study of health professionals' experience of engaging with online communities for interprofessional peer education. Our results show that health professionals had relatively high levels of confidence engaging with multiple platforms. They used the platforms to formally and informally share evidence-based content, engage in collegial debate and connect with international colleagues. Health professionals are keen to engage with online communities for education and are aware of how these sites' functionality can promote engagement with interdisciplinary peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used a mixed-methods online survey to recruit 616 young Australians whose parents had separated, to understand their experiences and how to better support them throughout the separation process. Persistent themes included conflict, lack of communication and agency, mental health concerns, and feelings of confusion, frustration, loss, and grief. Some suggested it would have been useful to talk about reasons for the separation, their rights, opinions and feelings, with some indicating the separation process affected their ongoing mental health and relationships. There was a general preference for face-to-face counseling, closely followed by online counseling and online peer-to-peer support, indicating that a "one size fits all" approach is not suitable for young people. Young people should be offered services early in the separation process that can be extended in content to other issues such as new partners, school life and mental health, and continued beyond the timeframe of the separation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online communities in health care are well established as technologies for facilitating interactions between patients with common conditions and communication between patients and health professionals. Less well known is how health professionals use these platforms to connect with their peers, particularly for interprofessional education or support. We present early results from our exploratory international mixed methods (survey and interview) study of health professionals' experience of engaging with online communities for interprofessional peer education. Our results show that health professionals had relatively high levels of confidence engaging with multiple platforms. They used the platforms to formally and informally share evidence-based content, engage in collegial debate and connect with international colleagues. Health professionals are keen to engage with online communities for education and are aware of how these sites' functionality can promote engagement with interdisciplinary peers.

Digital mental health services are becoming increasingly valuable for addressing the global public health burden of mental ill-health. There is significant demand for scalable and effective web-based mental health services. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to improve mental health through the deployment of chatbots. These chatbots can provide round-the-clock support and triage individuals who are reluctant to access traditional health care due to stigma. The aim of this viewpoint paper is to consider the feasibility of AI-powered platforms to support mental well-being. The Leora model is considered a model with the potential to provide mental health support. Leora is a conversational agent that uses AI to engage in conversations with users about their mental health and provide support for minimal-to-mild symptoms of anxiety and depression. The tool is designed to be accessible, personalized, and discreet, offering strategies for promoting well-being and acting as a web-based self-care coach. Across all AI-powered mental health services, there are several challenges in the ethical development and deployment of AI in mental health treatment, including trust and transparency, bias and health inequity, and the potential for negative consequences. To ensure the effective and ethical use of AI in mental health care, researchers must carefully consider these challenges and engage with key stakeholders to provide high-quality mental health support. Validation of the Leora platform through rigorous user testing will be the next step in ensuring the model is effective., (©Emma L van der Schyff, Brad Ridout, Krestina L Amon, Rowena Forsyth, Andrew J Campbell. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 19.06.2023.)