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Mobiles and internet link to help the mentally ill * * Email * Printer friendly version * Normal font * Large font Louise Hall Health Reporter June 29, 2008 Advertisement MOBILE phones and the internet will be used to help up to 2 million Australians manage their mental health problems. People can use the technology to track their wellbeing on a day-to-day basis by recording their mood, sleep, activities, medication, physical activity and drug and alcohol use. The $1.88 million system is being developed by Sydney's Black Dog Institute as part of a growing move towards "e-therapy" as a way to cope with the chronic shortage of services for the mentally ill. Using secure messaging via the internet or SMS on their mobile phone, patients report their condition daily. Information is fed back on their condition and alerts are sent to their phones or computers when things aren't going well, along with links to appropriate self-help tools. Black Dog's senior research fellow Judy Proudfoot said the system would assist those at risk of depression, anxiety or stress to recognise symptoms and seek support, as well as help existing sufferers manage their illness. "If a patient reports that he or she has been feeling anxious and not sleeping well, they would receive an alert pointing to tools for managing anxiety and giving tips for sleeping better," Dr Proudfoot said. "The alert may also recommend discussing the issues with a GP or clinician and the patient can print out the report and take it with them." She said most mental health programs, whether they were delivered face to face, by phone or via the web, relied on people monitoring their symptoms or activities. She said the new system was an important initiative allowing "just-in-time" monitoring and immediate intervention on a daily basis. "Quite often an individual's recall of symptoms, mood or behaviour over several days or weeks can be poor, which not only affects the accuracy of their repor