Sign up to the Mood Memos study

What is the Mood Memos study about?

The study aims to improve mild depression symptoms and prevent the development of more severe levels of depression in participants. We are proposing that regularly receiving emails containing either information about depression, or information about coping methods for depression, can lead to improvements in mental health. The study is designed for people with mild symptoms of depression, and is not appropriate for people who have been diagnosed with major depression or who have moderate to severe depression symptoms.

What do the Mood Memo emails contain?

We are testing two types of Mood Memo emails. One type contains information to improve your knowledge of depression, which is based on the latest scientific knowledge. The second type contains coping strategies for depression, which were recommended by depression experts as likely to be helpful. These experts were health professionals, academic researchers and people who have had depression before. All Mood Memo emails are written in an easy-to-understand style.

What will I be asked to do?

If you agree to participate, you will be asked to do the following:

Provide us with a user name (you may use a pseudonym and remain anonymous) and email address at which we can contact you during the study. In addition we will ask for information about your age, gender, education, ethnic background, and any history of mental illness.
Agree to be randomly allocated to one of two groups who will receive different Mood Memo emails related to depression.
Receive Mood Memo emails twice weekly for six weeks.
Complete short online questionnaires about your mental health at the start of the study, midway through the study, at the end of the study, and 6 months after the end of the study.
All parts of the study can be completed whenever you want anywhere you have access to the internet. We anticipate that the study will take approximately 3 hours to complete over 6 months.

Who is being asked to participate?

We are inviting people using the internet who are experiencing mild depression symptoms to participate in this study. Participation is limited to adults (aged 18+) from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA, UK and Ireland (English speaking countries with developed health systems).

What if I change my mind?

Participation in this study is voluntary. If you change your mind about participating, you are free to withdraw from the study at any time. In addition, you may also withdraw any of your data that can be identified (information about yourself and responses to questionnaires) if you wish by contacting us.

What about privacy?

Any data we collect from you will be de-identified and coded to protect your confidentiality. It will be held under password protection and not divulged to others. Data from the study will be destroyed after a minimum of 5 years. Any written or verbal reports resulting from the study will contain only de-identified group data. Individual participants will not be identifiable in any report.

Are there any risks?

There is a small risk that you might get upset or distressed from answering the questionnaires. If you do become distressed while answering the questions, please seek support if you feel you need to talk to someone about how you are feeling. You may have a support network available to you (including health professionals, family or friends).

There is also a risk that you will begin to feel more depressed, despite your participation in the study. If this occurs, we recommend that you seek appropriate local professional help. Information on where to seek professional help or support is provided on the Mood Memos website, or if you prefer, you can contact the researchers for assistance with locating sources of help or support.

What are the benefits of Mood Memos?

This study has the potential to help you feel less depressed and improve your methods of coping. The knowledge gained from this study could also lead to better knowledge about depression in the community and ultimately fewer people developing major depression.

Who is involved in the Mood Memos study?

The Mood Memos study forms part of a PhD being completed by Amy Morgan at Orygen Youth Health, The University of Melbourne, Australia. Professor Tony Jorm and Professor Andrew Mackinnon are supervising the study. The study is funded by a National Health and Medical Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship and a Sidney Myer Health Scholarship.

Who do I contact for information about Mood Memos?

If you would like further information before deciding to participate, please email

What if I have concerns about Mood Memos?

If you have concerns about the scientific aspects of the study, please contact the Principal Researcher, Amy Morgan, email: or Professor Tony Jorm, email:

The study has been approved by the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee. If you have concerns about the ethics of the study, please contact the Executive Officer, Human Research Ethics, The University of Melbourne, Australia, phone: +61-3-8344-2073, fax: +61-3-9347-6739.