Introduction: Many people with mental health conditions also experience concurrent alcohol and other drug use problems. However treatment for co-occurring mental health and substance use problems is often suboptimal and fragmented. This presentation describes the digital ecosystem and website, eCliPSE [electronic Clinical Pathways to Service Excellence], developed to improve access to evidence-based, effective, support for people experiencing co-occurring mental health and alcohol and other drug use problems, and it’s uptake to date.
Methods: eCliPSE was co-designed with mental health and drug and alcohol clinicians and clients. It provides access to evidence-based, self-help resources (e.g. factsheets), self-monitoring and tracking features and nine evidence-based, or evidence-informed, online programs addressing co-occurring mental health and substance use problems. eCliPSE is publicly available, with visits to the website, registrations and program usage automatically recorded.
Results: Between July 2022 and July 2023 over four thousand unique users visited eCliPSE. Over half of these users (57%) came to eCliPSE via organic search, 36% came to the site directly (i.e. typing the website into a browser) and 4% via referral from another website. The most popular part of the website were the self-help resources (1,468 unique users), particularly resources regarding crystal methamphetamine.
Discussions: Despite no paid or large-scale promotion of eCliPSE occurring between July 2022 and July 2023, the website experienced a high level of traffic, primarily users discovering the website through a google search. These results highlight the high level of need and public interest in evidence-based information and support regarding co-occurring mental health and substance use problems. This presentation will also provide preliminary results regarding the uptake of eCliPSE following a NSW wide, online marketing campaign commencing in August 2023. These findings will inform efforts to strengthen the capabilities of individuals and organisations in managing comorbidity in mental health and substance use.