Frequently Asked Questions

moodgym is an online self-help program designed to help users prevent and manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is like an interactive, online self-help book which teaches skills based on cognitive behaviour therapy.

If you or someone else is feeling suicidal, you should seek immediate help. There are people and services who can help. See Emergency help for more information.

Note that moodgym is not appropriate for crisis help.

moodgym consists of five interactive modules which are completed in order.

• Exercises and quizzes

  As you progress through moodgym, you will be asked to answer questions about your feelings and thoughts. moodgym will then provide useful feedback about your results.

  For many of the exercises it is up to you whether or not you complete them (although of course moodgym encourages you to complete all of them!). However, some quizzes must be completed before you can move on to the next part of moodgym.

• Summaries

  At the end of each module, a summary of your results for that module is available and can be printed out. These can also be accessed from your Workbook.

• Workbook

  In the moodgym Workbook you'll find all of the exercises and quizzes that you encounter throughout the program.

moodgym was originally developed and evaluated over 15 years by researchers at the Australian National University. The principal authors of the content were Professor Helen Christensen and Professor Kathy Griffiths, who first scripted moodgym in 2001. Other staff provided clinical, technical and design expertise, and young people from the community provided feedback.

The development and delivery of moodgym is now undertaken by e-hub Health – an ANU spin-off company managed by the senior moodgym team.

moodgym is designed to be used by people who would like to prevent mental health problems or manage problems which are troubling but not incapacitating.

moodgym is not specifically designed for use by people with clinical levels of depression or anxiety. moodgym suggests that those who score above 2-3 on the moodgym Depression Quiz should contact a health professional.

• Some of the exercises might be counterproductive for those with strong emotions.
• Contact with a person (rather than an internet site) is very helpful for those dealing with these sorts of problems. A therapist can provide both the support and motivation to assist those with who may feel overwhelmed by their difficulties or who are battling to initiate self-help strategies.
• The perceptions of another person are helpful as each person is unique.
• Each person is unique and a standard program may need to be modified to take into account their particular circumstances.

Since its launch in 2001, moodgym has been extensively evaluated in a number of research trials undertaken by research groups around the world.

These include studies: in a range of settings (e.g., schools, workplaces, crisis support services, NHS Choices online); across the mental health care spectrum (from prevention to treatment); with different age groups (adults, adolescents); with a range of population groups (e.g. students, primary care patients, community users); in different countries; and with and without therapist guidance.

A study in England found that use of moodgym as an adjunct to GP care did not substantially improve depression outcomes compared with usual GP care alone¹. However, a recent meta-analysis of 12 studies found that moodgym is effective at reducing depression and anxiety symptoms in adult populations, with some evidence suggesting that it is also effective at reducing general psychological distress².

moodgym has also been shown to have a number of secondary benefits. Studies have reported moodgym to be effective in reducing hazardous alcohol use³, reducing suicide risk in high-risk populations⁴, and in improving wellbeing in community users⁵. Evaluation studies suggest that moodgym is a viable option for those who cannot access face-to-face therapy, and for those waiting for traditional services⁶.

1. Gilbody S., et al., Computerised cognitive behaviour therapy (cCBT) as treatment for depression in primary care (REEACT trial): large scale pragmatic randomised controlled trial BMJ 2015; 351 :h5627
2. Twomey, C. and G. O’Reilly, Effectiveness of a freely available computerised cognitive behavioural therapy programme (MoodGYM) for depression: Meta-analysis. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2016.
3. Farrer, L., et al., Web-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Depression With and Without Telephone Tracking in a National Helpline: Secondary Outcomes From a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR, 2012. 14(3):e68
4. Guille, C., et al., Web-based cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for the prevention of suicidal ideation in medical interns: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 2015: 1-7.
5. Powell, J., et. al. Effectiveness of a web-based cognitive-behavioral tool to improve mental well-being in the general population: randomized controlled trial. JMIR, 2013, 15(1), e2).
6. Twomey, C., et. al. A randomized controlled trial of the computerized CBT programme, MoodGYM, for public mental health service users waiting for interventions. Br J Clin Psychol, 2014.

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 18 with depressive symptoms should speak to their parents about seeking professional help for their depression.

Yes. All information that you enter into the moodgym program (answers to quizzes, exercises, workbooks and diaries) is kept confidential and eHub Health is under a legal obligation to protect the integrity of your personal information.

Please see our privacy policy for detailed information.

eHub Health understands the importance of keeping your personal information secure, and is under a legal obligation to protect the integrity of your personal information.

Please see our privacy policy for detailed information.

eHub Health welcomes independent research on the use of moodgym with specific population groups or settings.

We encourage researchers to contact the moodgym support team to discuss the requirements of your research.

The new version of moodygm is also available in German. You can access German moodgym at moodgym.de.

The previous version of moodgym was also available in Dutch, Finnish, Chinese and Norwegian, however unfortunately these versions have not been updated and are no longer available.

moodgym costs $39(AUD) for 12 month's access.

To purchase a subscription: register an account or log in with your previously registered account. If there is no active subscription associated with your user account, you will be provided with the option to purchase a subscription.

No. For many years moodgym was provided free of charge to users around the world. However, in order to ensure sustainability, we now charge for individual access to the new version. We have tried to keep the cost of moodgym as affordable as possible.

We encourage health departments, organisations and corporations to consider cost-effective subscriptions to provide access to moodgym for their citizens, members or employees. This information for organisations may be useful if you wish to forward a link with details of moodgym to your health provider or employer.

Access is available to individuals for $39(AUD) for 1 year's access. You will be able to purchase a subscription after you have registered an account (email address and password).

Note that if your organisation or employer has provided you with a token, you will be able to enter this after registration to proceed without payment.

To purchase a subscription: register an account or log in with your previously registered account. If there is no active subscription associated with your user account, you will be provided with the option to purchase a subscription.

You can make the payment for subscription via a credit card or paypal. Online payments are procesesd through Paddle (see Paddle’s privacy policy here). Once your payment has been processed Paddle will email you a receipt for the purchase (including any sales taxes). Note that eHub Health does not collect or store your credit card details.

Subscription payments are processed through Paddle (see Paddle’s privacy policy here). The charge for your payment will appear on your statement as "PAD*MOODGYM".

Please contact the moodgym support team for assistance.

To access moodgym you will need to register an account.

If you have already registered an account you can log into the program with your email address and password. (If you registered on an old version of moodgym, you will need to log in with your username and password).

To register a user account you will need to agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and enter your email address and a password.

Your password needs to be at least 8 characters long, and meet any 3 of the following:

• Contain a letter
• Contain both uppercase and lowercase letters
• Contain a number
• Contain a special character
• 13 characters or longer

If you continue to have issues registering a user account, please contact the moodgym support team for assistance.

If your details aren't working and you have set secret questions, you can reset your password using your email address.

Please note that as per our privacy policy, accounts which have not been accessed for more than 2 years will be deleted.

Note that if you registered your account on an old version of moodgym, you will need to log in with your username and password. If these details aren't working, and you have accessed your account within the last 2 years, please contact the moodgym support team for assistance.

To delete your account, log into moodgym and go to 'My account' on the top right of your screen. Here you will see an option to delete your account.

If you have accessed your account within the last 2 years, your details will be active within the new system.

All existing users will be provided with a free subscription until the end of March 2018.

Yes. If you have accessed your account within the last 2 years, these details will be active within the new system.

Please note that you will need to login using your username and password (rather than email address and password).

Note that you will need to log in using your username and password (rather than email address and password), and that both are case sensitive. Also, as per our privacy policy, accounts which have not been accessed for more than 2 years are deleted from our systems.

If you details aren't working, and you have accessed your account within the last 2 years, please contact the moodgym support team for assistance.

We encourage health departments, organisations and corporations to consider cost-effective subscriptions to provide access to moodgym for their citizens, members or employees. Please see information for organisations.

Yes. Please see information for organisations.