Digital Mental Health Musings

In the series finale of Digital Mental Health Musings, guest host Kate Hatchman takes listeners on a journey through the conversations that shaped the past year. From innovative digital tools for young people to culturally safe care for First Nations clients, the episode weaves together powerful insights and personal stories from clinicians across Australia.  Whether you're an experienced cli...

“Clinicians out there are in need of tools they can use like this to really bridge that gap between what they talk about with young people in sessions and what they would like them to do in everyday life.” In this episode of Digital Mental Health Musings , we dive into the pervasive issue of stuck thinking, or rumination, in children and adolescents - those persistent, often debilitating thought p...

“I think really it’s just another tool in your suite of tools you can use as a clinician.” General Practitioner Dr Bianca Cannon shares her journey using digital mental health with clients and what happens when we challenge the fears we might have around incorporating digital tools into practice. In this episode Dr Cannon talks about the techniques and skills that health professionals already have...

“Young people wanted something to grab them, and not something to make them think that this was a magic treatment program that was going to make everything better strait away. They wanted it to say momentum moving forward.” Have you ever wondered what your young child or adolescent clients image their mental health care to look and feel like? Now an innovative new digital mental health platform de...

“My First Nations colleagues tell be that listening is most important. Listening is really the beginning of any relationship building. But what are we listening to? What are we listening for?” In this episode WellMob’s senior workforce development officer, Dr Mim Weber joins us to talk about her journey into allyship – what that looks like for her, how it can foster deeper connections with First N...

“We all like to learn that we're not the only person dealing with this. When [a client] actually hears stories of other people and how they've overcome certain situations, I think it's incredibly powerful.” In this episode, Diane Cass, a social worker and doctoral candidate with Charles Stuart University, discusses the different ways she uses digital mental health tools and services...

“It doesn’t have to be a really big intervention. Often it’s these smaller changes that make a big difference.” In this episode, Dr Marlena Klaic, senior research fellow in implementation science at the University of Melbourne, decodes some of the common attitudes and behaviours health professionals express about digital mental health, from an implementation science lens. This conversation will gi...

“So, I think that was something that added, added some weight to what I was talking about. And also in the session you’re trying to cover so many things, quite often in that 50 minute session, that to give that sort of idea to go away and look at that, to consolidate some of that, or to get a bit more information, or look at it in a different way, because you don’t quite know what people do take a...

In the season final of Digital Mental Health Musings, we take a look at the key moments from our conversations with the experts shaping the mental health landscape in 2023. From AI and chatbots to Australia’s ground-breaking digital mental health safety and quality standards, plus culturally responsive mental healthcare, data protection and privacy, a moderated online social community changing you...

“I think that the website works really hard to transmit that information in a way, that encourages people with milder symptoms to give some of these digital resources a go. We know they work but not everybody's using them. They're not being used to the fullest capacity that they could be. So, I think the other side of the coin is encouraging people who have got distress but aren't i...

The rapid rise of AI has prompted some crucial questions about its use in the mental health setting: what are the privacy implications of sharing sensitive information to chatbots? How is that data being tracked across these platforms, how is it being stored and protected – and are chatbots bound by the same professional standards as a human therapist?   In this episode of Digital Mental Health Mu...

“What I wanted to understand is what is the on-the-ground evidence, what is the everyday experience of clinicians who are using digital tools in their practice? And on the other side, what’s getting in the way of clinicians being able to effectively use these sorts of tools in their practice?” In this episode of Digital Mental Health Musings we talk to Dr Farrer about what she has learned about ho...

“It’s a big problem, even in face-to-face care, that people drop out after a few sessions and don’t engage in treatment for long enough to get the benefits of therapy, says head of research at Orygen Digital, Associate Professor Shane Cross. In this episode of Digital Mental Health Musings, we talk to Professor Cross and Savanah Whieldon, Orygen Digital’s Queensland Peer Work Coordinator, about th...

How can mental healthcare professionals adjust their practices to better serve Indigenous clients in culturally safe, responsive and respectful ways?   In this episode of Digital Mental Health Musings , Dr Tania McMahon talks to social worker Bec Pevitt and Project Officer Angela Sheridan from WellMob – an online platform that shares Indigenous knowledge and wisdom to health professionals to stren...

The challenges associated with managing complex mental health conditions, client and peer relationships, as well as keeping on top of new developments and research in the field can be overwhelming – and, at times, lonely.   In this episode, we speak to GP and medical educator at Black Dog Institute, Dr Phoebe Holdenson-Kimura, about a new resource for health professionals that highlights the value...

The rapid rise of digital mental health programs and services has brought with it much promise to the concept of mental health treatment – particularly the promise of leveling mental healthcare disparity with the potential for faster care and more equitable access. As a health professional who recommends and integrates these services into care, how can you be sure that access to high-quality and s...

Caring for loved ones with mental illness puts caregivers at risk themselves – now two new digital mental health programs have been developed to support them.   The role of caregiving can come at a high personal cost. Research shows that it can lead to depression, anxiety and a decrease in wellbeing with carers reporting significant negative outcomes including time out of the workforce and poorer...

In this episode host, eMHPrac Director Heidi Sturk steps in as host to answer all your burning questions about digital mental health. From questions about the basics of digital mental health, to more complex questions, we are wrapping up this season by bringing you the answers to some of your biggest questions including: There are so many different digital options out there - what are they all for...

In this episode host, Dr Tania McMahon speaks to Associate Professor Neil Thomas and Dr. Hailey Tremain from Mental Health Online. They discuss the story of Mental Health Online, their pathway to blended care, their therapist-assisted program and how health professionals can use Mental Health Online to enhance their practice. Mental Health Online is an initiative of Swinburne University's Nat...

In this episode host, Dr Tania McMahon speaks to Dr Kylie Bennett, Managing Director of eHub about MoodGym, eCouch, and what they have learned over the last 20 years working in digital mental health. Dr Kylie Bennett is the Managing Director of e-Hub Health which delivers automated, evidence-based online self-help programs for mental health. The programs include MoodGym, a cognitive behaviour ther...

In this episode host, Dr Tania McMahon speaks to Scott White, PANDA Project Lead for SMS4dads about SMS4dads services, the evidence behind it and how it can support health practitioners in their work with new or expecting parents.  Prior to working the PANDA Scott was communications manager at the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network where he advocated strongly for evidence-...

In this episode of Digital Mental Health Musings host, Dr. Tania McMahon speaks to Sherry Cameron and Tess Reddel from Lifeline Australia about Lifeline's services. Sherry Cameron is the National Manager of Digital Services for Lifeline Australia, which provides 24/7 services to people in distress via SMS and online chat. Sherry oversaw the evolution of Digital Services from a six-hour-a-nigh...

In this episode of Digital Mental Health Musings host, Dr. Ruth Crowther speaks to Dr Tania McMahon about burnout in clinical practice and how digital tools can help.  Dr Tania McMahon is a returning guest on the Digital Mental Health Podcast. She is a Senior Research Officer within the eMHPrac team and a registered Clinical Psychologist. Tania has been working in ePsychology research for over a d...

In this episode of Digital Mental Health Musings host, Dr. Ruth Crowther speaks to David Bakker about the MoodMission app, integrating mental health apps into treatment, and the ongoing development of digital interventions. Dr David Bakker is the Founding Director of MoodMission. He is a clinical psychologist in private practice and has previously worked in rural mental health outreach, youth ment...

In the first episode of Season 2 Digital Mental Health Musings host Dr. Ruth Crowther speaks to Jane Austin and Lyndal Sherwin from TheMHS.  They discuss the origins of the TheMHS Learning Network, their goals, the upcoming TheMHS Conference, and TheMHS Awards. Jane Austin is Executive Director of TheMHS and has had a background in health organisation management for the last twenty years. This has...