The internet as a setting for mental health service utilisation by young people.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To explore patterns of internet use by young people in Australia and assess the usefulness of online resources for mental health problems, exploring functionality that may be relevant in the development of online mental health services. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of young people (2000 randomly selected participants aged 12-25 years), via telephone interview, conducted in January-March 2008. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patterns of internet use including type of use, social networking, sources of information about mental health, alcohol or other substance use problems and levels of satisfaction with the information, and type of i..