Previous research has reviewed the quality of online information related to specific mental disorders. Yet, no comprehensive study has been conducted on the overall quality of mental health information searched for online. This study examined the first 20 search results of two popular search engines-Google and Bing-for 11 common mental health terms. They were analyzed using the DISCERN instrument, an adaptation of the Depression Website Content Checklist (ADWCC), Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level readability measures, HONCode badge display, and commercial status, resulting in an analysis of 440 web pages. Quality of Web site results varied based on type of disorder examined, with higher quality Web sites found for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dysthymia, and lower quality ratings for phobia, anxiety, and panic disorder Web sites. Of the total Web sites analyzed, 67.5% had good or better quality content. Nearly one-third of the search results produced Web sites from three entities: WebMD, Wikipedia, and the Mayo Clinic. The mean Flesch Reading Ease score was 41.21, and the mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score was 11.68. The presence of the HONCode badge and noncommercial status was found to have a small correlation with Web site quality, and Web sites displaying the HONCode badge and commercial sites had lower readability scores. Popular search engines appear to offer generally reliable results pointing to mostly good or better quality mental health Web sites. However, additional work is needed to make these sites more readable.

Despite growing research in the past two decades involving Internet-supported or online mental health interventions, there has been only a few attempts to provide a synthesis of the research findings and future trends. The Internet has grown exponentially during this time, providing greater access to a wider population than ever before. Consequently, online mental health interventions have the potential to be cost-effective, convenient, and reach a more diverse population than traditional, face-to-face interventions. This paper reviews and summarizes the current research for online mental health interventions and discusses future trends. These interventions range from psychoeducational static webpages and complex, personalized, interactive cognitive-behavioral-based self-help programs, to videoconferencing, self-help support groups, blogging, and professional-led online therapy. Future trends in online interventions include the greater prevalence of online therapy and the use of video chat and videoconferencing technologies to enhance and extend the therapeutic relationship. The use of texting or short message service (SMS), mobile communications, smart phone applications, gaming, and virtual worlds extends the intervention paradigm into new environments not always previously considered as intervention opportunities. We find that there is strong evidence to support the effective use and future development of a variety of online mental health applications.

Although psychotherapy has been and continues to be a face-to-face activity primarily, a growing minority of therapists are conducting text-based (i.e. e-mail) psychotherapy over the Internet. This study compared the session impact (measured by the Session Evaluation Questionnaire, SEQ; Stiles, Gordon, & Lani, 2002) and the client-therapist alliance (measured by the Agnew Relationship Measure, ARM; Agnew-Davies, Stiles, Hardy, Barkham, & Shapiro, 1998) of the exchanges between clients and therapists who are engaged in e-mail therapy with previously published results on face-to-face therapy. According to preliminary results, the online clients provided similar session impact and therapeutic alliance ratings compared to face-to-face clients. Although online therapists followed this general trend, they evaluated the depth, smoothness, and positivity aspects of session impact and confidence aspect of therapeutic alliance more highly than face-to-face therapists.

From the Publisher:Easy to use and chock-full of the latest information, the 1999 edition of this guide helps readers take full advantage of Internet and World Wide Web resources in psychology, psychiatry, and related areas such as self-help and patient education. The book explains and evaluates the full range of Internet search engines, search guides, newsgroups, and databases, and provides time-saving reviews of hundreds of specific resources. Learn how and where to go online to get the latest treatment information for specific clinical problems; find job listings in mental health and network with other professionals; locate articles and books; and more. Updated throughout, this edition features an invaluable new appendix on researching grants online.

From the Publisher:Easy to use and chock-full of the latest information, the 1999 edition of this guide helps readers take full advantage of Internet and World Wide Web resources in psychology, psychiatry, and related areas such as self-help and patient education. The book explains and evaluates the full range of Internet search engines, search guides, newsgroups, and databases, and provides time-saving reviews of hundreds of specific resources. Learn how and where to go online to get the latest treatment information for specific clinical problems; find job listings in mental health and network with other professionals; locate articles and books; and more. Updated throughout, this edition features an invaluable new appendix on researching grants online.

The debate surrounding the definition and validity of "Internet addiction,"a theorized disorder involving people who find themselves spending a lot of time online to the detriment of other relationships and responsibilities, remains unresolved. Although an understanding of human behavior is one piece of the equation, other pieces must be taken into consideration to appreciate the full picture. Societal acceptance of technology, the definitions of addictions and compulsions, and the effects of labeling are additional issues to take into consideration. When viewed from a broader perspective, online overuse looks surprisingly similar to normal social interactions carried out online, or simply one method for coping with other life, medical, or mental health problems. This article attempts to address these issues from this broader context while examining the underlying problems with research in this area to-date and offering suggestions for future research.