BiteBack

Description:

Bite Back is an online positive psychological program designed to improve the well-being and happiness of young Australians aged 12-18 years. It consists of information and interactive activities relating to nine positive psychology domains: gratitude, optimism, flow, meaning, hope, mindfulness, character strengths, healthy lifestyle, and positive relationships. You can use as much or as little of the program as you like, although you might receive greater benefits to your mental health and wellbeing if you use the site longer than 30-minutes per week, as evidenced by the previous research findings. To use the program, you will need to visit https://www.biteback.org.au and register an account.

Service URL:

https://www.biteback.org.au/

Agency Responsible:

the Black Dog Institute.

Details

Format:

Website.

Intervention Type:

Educational (primarily educational material or psychoeducation). Bite Back consists of information and interactive activities relating to nine positive psychology domains: gratitude, optimism, flow, meaning, hope, mindfulness, character strengths, healthy lifestyle, and positive relationships.

Course Length:

Other. Unstructured

Support Option:

No support.

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Depression.

Target Audience:

Adolescent.

Language:

English.

Access

Fee:

Free.

Access:

Open: With registration.

Contact Details:

biteback@biteback.org.au

Research evidence

Research Trials:

2

Research RCTs:

2

Outcome Summary:

An initial feasibility and effectiveness study involved 235 users randomly allocated to the Bite Back website or a control website. Users of both websites were instructed to use their allocated website for six consecutive weeks. At post-intervention there was a significant reduction in the reported levels of depression (measured by the DASS-21) among users of the Bite Back program delivered in an unstructured format, with stronger effects reported among those participants who used the program more frequently. No significant changes were reported in the control condition. In a second randomised controlled trial conducted in four Australian high schools in which the Bite Back program was delivered in a structured lesson-based format, no significant differences were found in mental health outcomes between the Bite Back and the control condition. Further research is needed in which the Bite Back program is directly compared to the control condition. 

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

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Research paper citations

Manicavasagar, V., Horswood, D., Burckhardt, R., Lum, A., Hadzi-Pavlovic, D., & Parker, G. (2014). Feasibility and effectiveness of a web-based positive psychology program for youth mental health: randomized controlled trial. Journal of medical Internet research, 16(6).

Burckhardt, R., Manicavasagar, V., Batterham, P. J., Miller, L. M., Talbot, E., & Lum, A. (2015). A web-based adolescent positive psychology program in schools: randomized controlled trial. Journal of medical Internet research, 17(7).