Risks And Opportunties Conference Summary Of Day

Risks and OpportunitiesThe Internet and Mental Health

25th February 2010

Key Themes

Mental Health

Information

Using The Web for Support

The Social Space that is the Web

"We're constantly judging our insides on everyone else's outsides"

Ruthie Henshall

How can we use new technology to change the relationship between service users and service providers?

Realising and embracing the fact that service users can be the service…not a new concept in mental health!

Strategic buy in…embracing opportunities mindful of risks

How can we use new technology to widen access to our services?

Leveraging empowered digital generation’s willingness Working with industry who have a commercial interest in getting it right

How can we use new technology to offer early intervention?

From crisis intervention to anticipatory/prevention activities Being where the audience is convening

Some Challenges

What to learn from iCBT? There are ways to bring existing

service models into the online environment

There is good, review level evidence that supports efficacy

The matrix of support offered around online interventions, and the language used are key to successful outcomes

"We can be paralysed by fear, but sometimes it’s good to look over the parapet"

“Social media is like a radar...a new way of seeing our world, which takes some getting used to"

“Cognitive isn’t a word you’ll have used very often...literacy issues mean millions of people are unable to engage with resources"

Information

• Links policy• Managing submissions

Quality Control

• Response to new tech...access to FB/Twitter from work.• Vol sec could be more responsive perhaps?

Bureaucracy

• Knowing how to reach hard to reach groups• Digital Divide...access

Diversity

• Hard to know how to measure impact, and really get to grips with visits/hits and what happens next

Impact Measurement

Support

• Using different channels of communication that suit the user• Making online support part of a suite of support that m

Flexibility

• Establishing clear protocols, and where appropriate, rules• Encouraging sense of ownership• Looking after staff needs and wellbeing

Boundaries

• Magnification...a small organisation can have a big reach, but expectation must be managed

• Sensitivity to use of services by people geographically distant...what information/on referral provided

• Funder return...if locally funded or specifically targeted, what if local money is providing support to people from outwith that area or even country!

Global Village

Social Space

• Responsibility for the things you post/pass on...• Control/vetting and moderation

Ethics

• There are lots of web sub-cultures...but are these a reflection rather than a creation?

• Mental Health ‘ghettos’ and exclusion of IRL activities• There are a lot of vulnerable groups of people, not just young

people. Are there practices that transfer?

Tribes and Cultures

• People are existing simultaneously online and offline• Perhaps we should be more proactive at equipping people for

online citizenship, and asking people about their online lives• Internet overuse...esp in mental health problems

Online/Offline Duality

• Web can provide social capital ‘start-up’ and social capital retention

• Sense of belonging• Facebook started as a means of keeping

students and alumni connected.• Many people make lasting IRL friendships

online• There are trust issues...but there are in real

life!• Good evidence on Online Dating

Social Capital

Challenging IssuesThere are different ways of dealing with difficult issues

Sometimes it’s possible to model and invert aspects of the ‘dark web’

Online organisations often work through issues that damage/inhibit offline groups

Firm rules can protect organisations and individuals

Sometimes the obvious response (like banning pro-ana) can cause damage

“I didn’t know I couldn’t do it, so I did it. I wanted something in the UK that was like things available in the UK”

“We put up a forum because it was technically possible. It was contentious, but luckily the community rallied”

“Self-injury often arises from chronic invalidation. Self-expression is a route out of that"

“Campaigning to close pro-ana sites might be giving them too much publicity. There was an explosion of underground sites when they were banned by some mainstream providers”

“Using the internet in mental health is not about using a new tool, but harnessing something people are using anyway”

“There are limits to what you can control..."

Technology for Wellbeing Work in pockets, around the country Often groundbreaking initiatives grow from

the passion of individuals T4WB brought together companies, NGOs

and researchers. Small funding €5k pa admin from National

Office of Suicide Prevention A model for Scotland? SDC would be interested in exploring this

further.

Appreciating and

Managing Risk

Recognising opportunities

and taking them

Online Activities to

Promote and Support MH

What Comes Next We want to listen to what you have to

say We’re going to put together a report

based on survey results, and the discussion today

We want to work with partners to take work forward in these areas

We’ll be in touch to ask you about your experiences of the day