A study of Macquarie University’s pioneering MindSpot Clinic has confirmed the effectiveness of digital services in treating mental illness and breaking down barriers to care.
More than 120,000 patients from a broad cross-section of Australian society accessed MindSpot services in the clinic’s first seven years. The study shows those who received treatment had a significant reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression that was sustained three months after treatment.
As well, MindSpot – a free and confidential service launched in late 2012 – reached a large number of people who otherwise would not have accessed mental health services, either due to stigma, cost, or being unwilling or unable to access face-to-face care, says the clinic’s Executive Director, Professor of Psychology Nick Titov.
“This study shows that digital mental health services (DMHS) are no longer at the state of feasibility trial or proof of concept,” says Titov.
If the sector is going to realise its potential, it needs a workforce so we have established the Academy.
“We have demonstrated that they make a unique and valuable contribution to the mental health infrastructure, and that there is clearly a role for these services in the contemporary mental health system.”
In a major next step for the future of DMHS in Australia, Macquarie University has established the MindSpot Academy – one of the first of its kind in the world – to deliver specialist training in digital mental health care.
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“If the sector is going to realise its potential, it needs a workforce so we have established the Academy,” Titov says. “It will initially support psychology interns and recent graduates to go through a series of training programs and experiences to develop the skills for delivery of DMHS, and over the years we will broaden that out to other health professional groups.
“We’re really pleased to be able to do this. We have 15 people in the Academy at the moment, and the feedback from them has been tremendous.”
Demand is on the rise
The study’s publication in the prestigious Lancet (Digital Health) came on the eve of the federal government’s unveiling this week (November 30) of its first national safety and quality standards for DMHS.
Free help: The mean age of patients at MindSpot in its first seven years was 32.7, and 72.9 per cent were women.
Earlier in November, the Productivity Commission released its review of mental health services, and gave a number of recommendations about the potential of DMHS and scaling up the sector.
And an explosion of demand during the COVID-19 pandemic for MindSpot services – which are delivered online and by telephone – boldly underlined that there is no turning back when it comes to the role of DMHS in the health system.
A lot of people go to see a health professional not necessarily to immediately fix the problem, but first to understand it.
“We had massively increased demand; during the biggest couple of weeks it was at least doubled, with 800 new patients a week compared with a usual 400,” Titov says.
“We carefully monitored the wellbeing of the people using our service and created content and material specifically around supporting people through the pandemic.”
Satisfaction approaches 100 per cent
The federally funded MindSpot Clinic and its team of more than 50 therapists treat depression, different types of anxiety such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and generalised anxiety, as well as helping people deal with chronic pain.
Care for all: Professor Nick Titov (pictured) says demand for MindSpot services massively increased during COVID-19.
At the forefront of DMHS globally, it delivers seven evidence-based digital treatment courses, all developed in a series of trials at Macquarie University’s online research clinic, the eCentreClinic. Levels of satisfaction with the courses are more than 95 per cent, the study found.
However, the study reveals that over the clinic’s first seven years, the proportion of people seeking information and assessment of their mental health at MindSpot, as opposed to treatment, increased significantly.
“What that reflects is that a lot of people go to see a health professional not necessarily to immediately fix the problem, but first to understand it. We sometimes have to go and see a professional a couple of times before we are ready to make a change,” Titov explains.
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“I think that is really healthy, and if people want to use a confidential digital mental health service in that way, I think that is fantastic.”
The study showed an increase over the seven years in the number of people reporting anxiety. The number of young adults and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background accessing MindSpot also grew.
The mean age of patients was 32.7 years and 72.9 per cent were women, consistent with reports that men are less likely to seek help.
“The question of how to engage men in both traditional mental health services and DMHS remains important and might require new service models,” the study says.
Dr Nick Titov is Professor in the Department of Psychology at Macquarie University and Executive Director of the MindSpot Clinic.
