Australia - The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre is hopeful the first trial of an online intervention to help treat combined depression and alcohol abuse in young people will encourage more people to seek help.
While other e-health interventions have targeted depression or alcohol use individually, The DEAL Project - for DEpression and ALcohol - is the first online brief intervention that aims to address both conditions together, in a program specially designed for young people.
Research has shown that less than a quarter of young Australians with mental disorders seek treatment due to impediments such as geographical isolation and perceived stigma.
The DEAL Project will target 18-25 year olds and will teach evidence-based psychological coping skills and strategies that young people can utilise to help manage their mood and/or drinking behaviour.
Participants are asked to complete one online module a week for four weeks. Assessment will take place online at baseline, five, 12 and 24 weeks to track their progress.
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Category(s):Addictions, Teenage Issues
Source material from Echo News
