Research examining e-health interventions based mostly on CBT strategies has found evidence for modest, yet positive effects on depression outcomes [833, 1124], and their use as a low-intensity, initial treatment for adults experiencing mild symptoms of depression has been recommended by the RANZCP guidelines [1098]. A small number of e-health interventions specifically designed to treat co-occurring depression and AOD use have been developed and evaluated in Australia.
The SHADE program, consisting of nine sessions of interactive exercises based on MI and CBT, has been associated with moderate to large reductions in alcohol consumption and significant reductions in depression scores over 12-month follow-up [1125, 1126]. More recently, a brief (four-session) early intervention program called the DEAL Project was developed, targeting young people experiencing depression with harmful patterns of alcohol use [110]. The program is undertaken entirely online with no clinician support. In evaluating the intervention, Deady and colleagues [1127] found that individuals randomised to receive the DEAL Project demonstrated a greater reduction in symptoms of depression and alcohol use compared to individuals randomised to an attention-control condition. At the time of writing, both SHADE and the DEAL Project are freely available via the eCliPSE portal http://www.eclipse.org.au.
There are also several Australian-based online programs for depression as a single disorder, including MindSpot Wellbeing Course, moodgym, myCompass, and This Way Up Depression Course [1128, 1129]. The majority have been evaluated in clinical trials, and demonstrated small to moderate positive effects on symptoms of depression [833, 1124, 1130–1132]. The ReachOut website includes a comprehensive list of apps recommended by clinicians https://au.reachout.com/tools-and-apps.