Educational Resources Available on the Internet: Assessing the Quality of Psychological Healthcare Sites.

The development of the Internet offers an entirely new means of providing psychological healthcare and access to psychological information. For mental healthcare consumers who possess the necessary cognitive and computer skills, as well as the access to the proper equipment, the Internet literally opens up a world of treatment possibilities previously unimaginable. For consumers who are introverted, confined to the home, or for when privacy is a priority, these remote forms of treatment and sources of information are extremely attractive. Unfortunately, the quality of these sites is not regulated and varies extensively. The absence of regulatory measures could result in misleading and potentially harmful effects. This study provides comparative data describing the quality of 775 Internet services currently available to those affected by different disorders and or seeking information related to behavioral healthcare. A rating scale was used to assess six dimensions of site quality including accuracy and practicality of information, emphasis on normalization, sense of belonging, referral, and feedback mechanisms. Four categories of behavioral healthcare sites examined were parenting problems, health problems, common emotional disorders (anxiety), and severe mental illness. One-way analysis of variance revealed significant differences in quality ratings across the four categories. Results are presented and discussed. (Author)