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How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’

rav3nSenior Contributor01 Sept 2025, 1:34 pm AEST

How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’

SANE recently launched results from the national Digital Navigation Project for the first time at a public webinar earlier this month.

According to SANE CEO Rachel Green, results clearly show our fragmented system is restricting access to appropriate care options and actively driving people towards unsustainable, and often unhelpful, acute or crisis services.

Currently, help-seekers must navigate a confusing and often traumatising system, typically starting with online searches that lead to something described to us as a ‘Google loop of despair’

The Digital Navigation Project tells us what needs to be done to take these findings and recommendations and turn them into meaningful action.

Check out the full article here: How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’, which summarises the key report findings.

We would love to hear your thoughts!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bu0fKeJXS4

5 replies

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In response to: How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’

26March24Senior Contributor01 Sept 2025, 8:49 pm AEST

Re: How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’

Very important research and report, well done and thank you.

In response to: How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’

SugarshackSenior Contributor02 Sept 2025, 11:56 am AEST

Re: How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’

OK so once upon a time we could have a chat to SANE support line and sort out the issue. Now, SANE support line has been taken away and there is very little real support. How does making videos change anything?

In response to: Re: How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’

Ru-beeModerator02 Sept 2025, 12:21 pm AEST

Re: How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’

Hello @Sugarshack if you have any feedback for SANE we ask that you direct it to the Feedback and Complaints section of the website so that it can be properly addressed.

In response to: Re: How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’

OaktreeSenior Contributor02 Sept 2025, 6:38 pm AEST

Re: How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’

Thank you @RachSANECEO

This was very interesting. I liked that it was an impartial look at how to make the help-seeker's experience more streamlined. I particularly liked the idea of implementing a tool that is imbedded in every organisation rather than have each organisation reinvent the wheel.

In response to: How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’

JlolSenior Contributor09 Apr 2026, 11:41 am AEST

Re: How help seekers can escape the ‘Google loop of despair’

"restricting access to appropriate care options and actively driving people towards unsustainable, and often unhelpful, acute or crisis services"

Exactly this! Well done!

I feel the MH sector/industry is defintly geared to "short term" conditions. For example, I have pretty chronic and consistant su*cidal ideation. I always feel "on the edge" of su*cide. Yet whenever I try to talk about it with anyone - doctors, counsellors, psychologists, referral services, help lines - I am treated like its a temporary thing and we "just have to get through the next few hours".

This approach to discussions around the "s" word is so common that for years I thought I was in the wrong or stupid or even more broken. I kept asking myself my I wasn't "coming through" this rough patch. Or why suggestions like "listening to music" or "going for a walk" had nil affect on my mood.

"all roads lead to ad hoc crisis services or the GP" - yep. 100%. Or worse yet having emergency services called on you.

So what's next?

I know one of the recommendations is a digital directory and and search, but I don't see how that would work. Sure, it's a good idea but who's going to curate it and update it? Services come and go or change direction or what they offer. And who's going to train people on how to use it? For example, I have C-PTSD which many MH workers haven't heard of, so whenever I try to get a referral or recommendation most times it's for PTSD.

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