E‐mental health: a new era in delivery of mental health services

range of factors have come together rapidly over the past decade to create a health services environment in which web-based technologies now offer one of the most promising opportunities for earlier and better management of common mental health problems. These factors include international recognition of the health burden attributable to anxiety, depression and substance misuse; 1 epidemiological evidence that mental disorders largely commence before the age of 25 years; 2,3 the development of highly interactive web-based technologies, and their widespread use in Australia (particularly among young people); and rapidly changing community attitudes towards help seeking for mental health problems. 4-6 Sadly, the proportion of Australian adults with current mental health problems using traditional health care services has not increased (38% in 1997 v 35% in 2007). 7 This is despite the apparent success of public awareness campaigns that have promoted help seeking 4-6 and some substantial changes in primary care-based approaches to the provision of medical and psychological treatments. 8,9 In reality, the structures, distribution and costs that currently underpin our primary and secondary care services make them relatively unavailable to many of those in need. 10 Despite the strong arguments in favour of early intervention in youth mental health, it is this group who are most neglected by the current arrangements. 11,12 By contrast, young people with difficulties are increasingly seeking informal and formal help online (see