MoodGYM is an innovative, interactive web program designed to prevent depression. It consists of five modules, an interactive game, anxiety and depression assessments, downloadable relaxation audio, a workbook and feedback assessment.
Using flashed diagrams and online exercises, MoodGYM teaches the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy – a proven treatment for depression. It also demonstrates the relationship between thoughts and emotions, and works through dealing with stress and relationship break-ups, as well as teaching relaxation and meditation techniques.
MoodGYM was designed and developed by staff at the Centre for Mental Health Research at the Australian National University, in collaboration with other researchers, mental health experts, web and graphic designers, and software engineers.
Depression affects one in five Australians at some point in their life, and about 121 million people worldwide. Although immunisation and other preventative measures are widespread in many areas of medicine, there is little recognition for the need of protecting mental health.
With this in mind, MoodGYM was developed as a training program to help prevent depression in young people. Making it available over the Internet seemed to be the most practical way of reaching the broader community.
Since its launch in 2004, MoodGYM has received several IT and health awards, and has over 400 000 registered users worldwide.
There is evidence that MoodGYM is helpful for its users. Scientific trials evaluating MoodGYM have shown that the using two or more modules is linked to significant reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms. The trials also found that these benefits still last after 12 months.
Although MoodGYM may reduce depression in some people, the Centre for Mental Health Research and its staff make no claims that MoodGYM will be helpful for every individual.
The information provided throughout MoodGYM is intended for information and skill development purposes only. MoodGYM is not a substitute for seeking diagnosis and treatment from a qualified person. Always consult a medical practitioner or mental health professional if you require a diagnosis or treatment for depression, anxiety or other mental disorders. One reason this is important is that depression is sometimes caused by physical illness or certain medications and a doctor can check these out. Persons under age 16 with depressive symptoms should speak to their parents about seeking professional help for their depression.
All information provided by MoodGYM users is kept confidential and the Centre for Mental Health Research is under a legal obligation to protect the integrity of your personal information. As an extra level of privacy, we recommend that you register your MoodGYM account using a pseudonym or made-up name as your username.
For more information about MoodGYM’s Privacy Statement, please read the MoodGYM Terms of Use.
No, MoodGYM is provided free of charge to the public.
Please send through a request to moodgym@anu.edu.au for our consideration. Permission is generally granted provided that your organisation complies with the following conditions:
This is caused by an invalid username or password. Username and passwords can only contain letters and numbers. Any other character may prevent completing registration.
As MoodGYM has over 400 000 registered users, it may be challenging to come up with a username that has not been taken. We suggest adding numbers on the end of your preferred username.
Passwords need to contain at least 6 characters. Passwords shorter than this will prevent completing registration.
This is caused by blocked cookies. You can find instructions on how to enable cookies by searching "cookies" in your web browser's Help menu.
If you have enabled cookies and the problem still occurs, try using MoodGYM with a different browser. Users in the past have found that the web browser Firefox works well with the MoodGYM program. Firefox can be downloaded at no cost from www.mozilla.com.
Please click on the links on the MoodGYM login page for more information.
This indicates the username and/or password is not being entered correctly. Usernames and passwords are case sensitive and you will need to take care to enter them correctly. If you are still unable to log in, go to the MoodGYM login page and click on 'I can't remember my login details'. You will be able to enter your email address to recover your login details.
Go to the MoodGYM login page and click on 'I can't remember my login details'. You will be able to enter your email address to recover your login details.
Log into MoodGYM and on the opening page, there will be an option to deactivate your account.