IF YOU had a question about mental health issues, where would you turn - a doctor? The clergy? Or perhaps your computer?
One in four people in Ireland uses the internet as a means of finding out about mental health, according to a new report from the Health Research Board (HRB) released last week.
But while the web offers strong potential for delivering appropriate health information, more needs to be done to encourage wider internet access and safe practices online, according to HRB senior researcher and psychologist Dr Donna Tedstone Doherty.
"Information technology is becoming very important in our day-to-day lives for various reasons - social welfare, health information, job searches and so on," says Doherty, who co-authored the new report looking at demographics of people using the internet in Ireland to seek health information.
"Then there's an important concept called e-health, which refers to the delivery or enhancement of health services or information through the internet.
"So we wanted to get an indication of the number of people using the internet as a source of information particularly about mental health," she explains.
A phone survey of 2,711 people for the HRB report found that about half of the respondents had never used the internet for any purpose.
"That was surprising, but it's not out of sorts with previous findings," says Doherty.
"And it is showing us there's a major digital divide or gap between those who have access to digital information and those who don't."
Those who didn't use the internet for any purpose tended to be older and have a lower level of education, according to the figures.
And as the internet becomes a more prevalent tool in delivering healthcare support and information, people without online access could potentially become isolated, notes Doherty.
But the current numbers on non-usage are not all down to people having no interest, according to figures in the report: about half of those who didn't currently log on to the internet indicated a willingness to use it for health matters.
"Previous research would suggest there's a lack of access and a lack of information on the benefits and also ability to use the technologies," says Doherty. "The Government has provided various ICT initiatives to address the digital divide but it's obvious that more needs to be done, or that it needs to be developed and extended."
The current HRB survey, which is part of a larger study on psychological wellbeing and distress in Ireland, also indicated that general internet users tended to be young, well educated and in employment.
And, echoing the usual makeup of a GP's waiting room, women were more likely than men to consult the web on health-related issues.
"Females may be more willing to disclose information, and they may also be more interested in health issues and wellbeing," suggests Doherty.
Age was also an issue, with only 3 per cent of over-55s reporting use of the internet for health information. And people with a long-term sickness or experiencing disability were noticeably more likely to use the internet as a source of information on health, according to the report.
Of the people in the survey who reported having a recent mental health issue such as depression or anxiety, about 60 per cent said they had sought health information online, notes Doherty.
"This shows there is a strong potential for using the internet as a source of information for mental health issues. We are certainly not saying there's a cause and effect here, but it highlights the potential."
However, users need to be aware that the internet is unregulated, and health information may not always be accurate or even safe, warns Doherty, citing "pro-anorexia" websites, enterprises that sell fake medication, and people using search engines to self-diagnose.
"It's very risky territory, and people need to be made aware of the potential for serious consequences on your health if you don't seek advice," she says.
The current report provides a baseline of internet use for health in Ireland, says Doherty, and highlights some possible areas of future research. "What we need to do now is find out how often are people using the internet [ for health], what sites are they accessing and what types of information," she says.
One goal would be to draw up a list of reputable Irish sites with appropriate health information and display them at points of primary care, warning that people seek online information elsewhere at their peril, suggests Doherty.
Doctors could also be consulted about the effects of the internet on how patients interact with them, she says.
