Providing online support for young people with mental health difficulties: challenges and opportunities explored

Despite its growing popularity there is a paucity of information exploring the potential of the Internet to build a trusted community that helps reduce stigma, facilitates help-seeking and aids in the prevention or helps in the management of mental health difficulties for young people. Unsupervised online forums or chat rooms hold potential dangers for young people including the possibility of attracting adults who may take advantage of vulnerable adolescents. Contagion with members organizing suicide pacts, or describing suicidal or self-harming intentions and methods and young people ruminating about feeling depressed are also potential risks. This paper describes the development and conceptual underpinnings of the Reach Out! Online Community Forum, a moderated bulletin board, developed in consultation with, and facilitated by young people aged 16-25. The Forum, although facilitated by young people, is supported and monitored by trained moderators. Anecdotal evidence collected via unsolicited feedback from young people using the Forum suggests that it is a positive, unique and helpful online experience although little is known about the impact on stigma reduction and help seeking in the offline world. Given the proliferation of unsupervised forums and chat rooms there is a need for further research to determine the effectiveness or potential dangers of online forums in mental health prevention and early intervention work.