The power of digital healthcare for mental health support

Published August 2025 | 5 min read
Expert contributors: Dr Mike Millard, Director, This Way Up; Linda Opie, Head of Health and Wellbeing, HCF
Words by Angela Tufvesson

For some Aussies, cost and distance can put mental health support out of reach. This Way Up offers evidence-based therapy online, making care more accessible.

Getting mental health support can be an overwhelming process. Costs, wait times and limited availability of services can all be barriers to accessing help. This is where digital treatments are making a difference – bringing flexible, affordable and timely access to mental health care to more people.

This Way Up is Australia’s leading provider of evidence-based, internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy programs. Developed by experts at St Vincent’s Hospital and the University of New South Wales, This Way Up offers tailored programs for a range of mental health conditions.

This Way Up’s programs are rigorously tested and backed by clinical research, including the program for perinatal anxiety and depression, which was supported by the HCF Research Foundation, Australia's leading non-government funder of health services research.

Cognitive behavioural therapy for tailored mental health support

This Way Up has been developing scientifically backed mental health programs for more than a decade. Currently, there are 18 programs available for a range of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

The programs have all been developed by experienced clinical psychologists and are based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT helps patients identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts and is widely considered to be the gold-standard treatment for many mental health problems.

All 18 programs are designed to mimic the education, skills and strategies you would learn if receiving face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy from a qualified mental health professional. They are self-paced and designed to be completed within six to 12 weeks.

“Our programs are all about empowering people,” says Dr Mike Millard, Director of This Way Up. “We're about equipping people with the mental health skills and techniques that have been proven to work – and they're accessible now.”

So far, This Way Up has recorded more than 285,000 program registrations. Four in five users who have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression report a significant improvement in how they feel, while 50% report they are no longer troubled by their symptoms.

What sets This Way Up apart?

With over 10,000 mental health apps available on the market, This Way Up is defined by its strong evidence base. “Only a very small percentage of mental health apps are evidence-based,” explains Linda Opie, HCF’s Head of Health and Wellbeing. “Making sure that health programs are evidence-based is essential.”

Each program is backed by clinical research and has undergone a randomised controlled trial – the most rigorous way of determining whether a treatment is effective.

Advancing mental health treatment for perinatal women

Over the years, This Way Up’s programs have evolved to reflect a deeper understanding of the mental health challenges people may face at different stages of their life. During the perinatal period, for example – which spans pregnancy and the first year after the baby is born – mental health issues like depression and anxiety are common, affecting an estimated one in five mothers.

“This is often a stressful time for people,” says Dr Millard. “We’ve tailored our programs to whether people are experiencing prenatal anxiety or depression, or postnatal anxiety or depression.”

A 2016 grant from HCF Research Foundation helped build the evidence base for these programs.

The Foundation-funded study examined the effectiveness of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) programs – known as ‘MUMentum’ – in treating pregnant and postpartum women with anxiety or depression. Participants who completed the MUMentum programs showed significant improvements, with the report concluding it was “superior to usual care in reducing distress and generalised anxiety symptoms”.

“The potential clinical value of the MUMentum programs is substantial, given many women do not access or engage with traditional psychological treatment services [e.g. face-to-face] during the perinatal period,” it added.

This research ultimately led to the development of This Way Up’s pregnancy and postnatal mental health programs, which are designed to help pregnant women and new parents learn practical strategies for managing anxiety and low mood. They can be used as an initial intervention for women screening positive for anxiety, depression and distress symptoms, and as an addition to existing, more clinician-intensive iCBT programs and face-to-face treatments.

This helps bring mental health care to more Australians, especially those in rural and remote areas.

Removing barriers to mental health support

This Way Up’s programs are available instantly for a small fee without needing an assessment or referral. GPs, psychologists and other mental health professionals can also access This Way Up and use the programs to treat their patients. This Way Up programs are available for free when prescribed by a clinician. Your provider can register with This Way Up and refer you to an appropriate online program under their supervision.

“We have a network of over 40,000 clinicians around Australia who are registered to use our platform to complement the other types of mental health treatment they provide,” says Dr Millard.

The online mode of delivery means there are no waiting lists, no long commutes to appointments, and complete privacy and flexibility to complete the programs in the comfort of your own home.

“Anyone who's tried to get help for a mental health condition knows we're living in a world of waiting lists,” says Dr Millard. “It doesn't matter whether you're in Darlinghurst or Dunedoo – with This Way Up, you’re able to access the same standard of evidence-based psychological treatment.

“We're very passionate about people being able to access proven treatments, no matter where they are, in a time and a place that suits them.”

Mental health support, tailored to you

Everyone’s mental health journey is different, but finding support shouldn’t be challenging. That’s why, if you have eligible HCF extras cover, we'll cover the cost of eligible programs provided by This Way Up^*, up to your annual limit.