ABSTRACT
The advent of new media and the Internet offers a rich and valuable resource from which to obtain information. The almost limitless scope of material available and instantaneous access make it an extremely effective source for updating. Evidence-based information, contact details, chat rooms, e-mail, self-help organisations and online therapy are only a few services offered through this new medium. Indeed, it offers a valuable resource not only to health care professionals but also to mental health service-users and other interested parties. From a mental health perspective there is a rich array of resources to choose from. This encompasses a vast selection of Internet sites provided by an extremely diverse selection of organisations and individuals. While this multi-perspective presents those accessing information with a greater selection of choice, it can also make it a bewildering and confusing process. The quality of information varies dramatically from site to site; from credible to unreliable, helpful to harmful and informative to misleading. Although there are various guides and indicators as to which are the more productive sites, the difficulty in distinguishing between the good and poor ones is a matter of some concern. Those accessing the Internet may struggle, therefore, to authenticate the information they find. There are no guarantees regarding the intention or credibility of many individuals or organisations posting information, and in a number of cases this has proved to be harmfully misleading or actively encouraging self-destructive behaviour. Searching the Internet does on the whole present individuals with what could be regarded as a storehouse of treasure although the ‘trinkets’ clearly have to be sifted out from the piles of accompanying junk. These difficulties are further reinforced by information overload caused by the almost limitless supply of material available.
