title: Online screening and feedback to increase help-seeking for mental health problems: population-based randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community-based screening for mental health problems may increase service use through feedback to individuals about their severity of symptoms and provision of contacts for appropriate services.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The effect of symptom feedback on service use was assessed. Secondary outcomes included symptom change and study attrition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using online recruitment, 2773 participants completed a comprehensive survey including screening for depression (n=1366) or social anxiety (n=1407). Across these two versions, approximately half (n=1342) of the participants were then randomly allocated to receive tailored feedback. Participants were reassessed after 3 months (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ANZCTR12614000324617).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A negative effect of providing social anxiety feedback to individuals was observed, with significant reductions in professional service use. Greater attrition and lower intentions to seek help were also observed after feedback.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Online mental health screening with feedback is not effective for promoting professional service use. Alternative models of online screening require further investigation.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  None.
  © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.
authors.affiliation: , BSc (Psychology) Hons, MPH, PhD.
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Batterham
authors.affiliation: , BAppPsych (Hons), PhD, National Institute for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
authors.forename: Alison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Calear
authors.affiliation: , BPsych (Hons), PhD.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sunderland
authors.affiliation: , BSc (Hons) Applied Psych, PhD, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Natacha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carragher
authors.affiliation: , BPsych (Hons), PhD, National Institute for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
authors.forename: Jacqueline L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Brewer