Thanks to support from the IMB Community Foundation, Lifeline has developed an online site, based on their Good Mood Guide, in what has been called a significant step towards nurturing mental health and well being in rural communities.

The Good Mood Guide book was initially designed to assist people dealing with mild to moderate depression.

With support from the University of Wollongong (UOW), the guide is now online, providing a consistent outreach to rural communities, including the local region, where, typically, less face to face support is available.

UOW professor Frank Deane, from the Illawarra Insititute for Mental Health will head a research team to study the online self-help program and gauge the effectiveness and the success of the Good Mood Guide.

To ensure the program is a success, Lifeline is calling on locals to take part, by volunteering to take part in the program.

Lifeline is calling on anyone aged over 18 years who feels they may be suffering from mild to moderate depression.

The program is based on effective psychological interventions and designed to help people cope with depression.

Lifeline South Coast executive director Grahame Gould visited the area this week to promote the program and encouraged people to take part.

“We are so fortunate to have had, firstly the help of the IMB Community Foundation enabling us to launch the online Good Mood Guide and now to have the research team at the UOW on board to assist with the evaluation of the online program,” Mr Gould said.

“The website increases our outreach ten-fold and it is vital to get it right.”

To find out more on the program or on how to take part, email your contact details to info@goodmoodguide.org to receive an information pack.

Flyers about the program are also available through the Ulladulla IMB.