• Neil Thomas, Fiona Foley, Katrina Lindblom, and Stuart Lee.
• Associate Professor, Centre for Mental Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, and; Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred and Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
• Australas Psychiatry. 2017 Jun 1; 25 (3): 257-261.

ObjectivesThe Internet is increasingly used in mental health service delivery, but there are significant potential barriers to Internet access for persons with severe mental illness (SMI). There is a need to understand this group's access to, and confidence with using, the Internet, and current views on using online resources as part of mental healthcare.MethodA survey was conducted of 100 consumers attending a specialist mental health service in Melbourne, Australia.ResultsApproximately three-quarters of participants had regular access to the Internet, and two-thirds used the Internet weekly or more. Half of the sample used email at least weekly, and a third were regular users of social networking sites. Internet access was often via mobile devices. Only a minority of participants used the Internet for mental health information, with video streaming and general websites accessed more often than peer forums for mental health content. Most participants were positive about their mental health worker using tablet computers with them in appointments for delivery of mental health materials.ConclusionMost people with SMI are active Internet users and, therefore, able to use interventions online.

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