International Society for Mental Health Online

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The International Society for Mental Health Online (ISMHO) (http://www.ismho.org) is a nonprofit organization formed in 1997 to promote the understanding, use and development of online communication, information and technology for the international mental health community. ISMHO conducts all of its official business via the Internet, as its board members (and membership in general) reflects a diverse, international makeup. Most of the active discussion of the organization is conducted on the Members-only e-mail list and discussion forum. Interested participants must be members in order to subscribe to this list or access it extensive, multi-year archive. Virtually any topic having to do with mental health online has been discussed at some point on the list, including online counseling, the nature of online communication and online behaviors, Internet addiction, and more. The list archive serves as a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and ordinary people interested in the topic of online mental health.

ISMHO does not endorse or hold any official position about the legitimacy or usefulness of e-therapy (or online counseling). ISMHO has, however, released a set of Suggested Principles for the Online Provision of Mental Health Services in order to help provide a guide to both clients and clinicians about this new modality.

ISMHO has over 200 members active in many countries throughout the world. Members are mostly professionals involved in the mental health field, but also include researchers, students, and ordinary people interested in mental health topics. There are no membership requirements other than to pay annual dues on a timely basis. Members and officers have customarily met in person at annual conventions of the American Psychological Association, where the organization was originally conceived.