A website designed to help people manage their anxiety and depression is proving to be a success, one of its founders says.
The website, Rid - Recovery via the Internet from Depression - was set up two years ago by researchers from the University of Otago's Injury Prevention Research Unit, and began accepting participants about a year ago.
In a first for New Zealand, it offers people a series of interactive exercises and mental health surveys, as well as information on where to access face-to-face or telephone counselling, and other mental health services.
Participants are monitored for two years after joining the programme to see how participating has affected their symptoms, their feelings about their mental health, and their attitude to treatment.
The results so far showed the website was a cost-effective and gentle way of helping people to help themselves, lead researcher Dr Shyamala Nada-Raja said.
"There is no doubt it works.
"It is a promising and credible treatment option which is complementary to other treatment and not a substitute."
Participants said they liked the anonymity of the website, the fact they could do the exercises in their own time, and the fact they did not need to talk to anyone until they were ready, she said.
"Many of them have told us they have had negative experiences with the health sector.
"And there is always a certain stigma about telling someone you think you might have a mental health issue."
Some participants had also felt they were helping others by taking part in the research, she said.
That increased their sense of self-worth.
While researchers were happy with the number of participants enrolled so far, Dr Nada-Raja said the trial needed 700 participants to be statistically valid, and she hoped to have another 40 within the next couple of weeks.
Enrolments would then be closed.
The trial has funding through to the middle of next year.
Dr Nada-Raja said she hoped to obtain extra funding to tailor the programme for teenagers.
Rid: the facts
University of Otago depression website
660 people enrolled so far
Participants range in age from 18-70
30% of participants men; 20% new migrants 16% of participants live in rural areas
14% of participants have a physical disability
About 50% of participants are also receiving treatment elsewhere for anxiety or depression
About 50% of participants say their anxiety or depression relates to an underlying physical problem such as chronic pain