Information for the Public

TMS has emerged into clinical practice after 30 years of research development including at UNSW and Black Dog Institute. It uses strong magnetic pulses to non-invasively stimulate the brain and has been shown to be an effective treatment for several disorders, including depression and OCD.  More about TMS

Ketamine is a new treatment for depression. It is highly effective and rapidly acting, even for depression that has not responded to other treatments. It is gradually being rolled out across Australia and internationally.

ECT is a well-established and highly effective treatment for severe depression and other clinical disorders. Many improvements in treatment technique over the past 30 years have improved treatment outcomes, with high effectiveness and reduced risks.  More about ECT

tDCS is a new and emerging treatment. It involves very low-level stimulation which can be done at home under remote clinical supervision.  It has been shown to be effective in treating depression and is undergoing evaluation for other disorders.

Psychedelics and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy are new treatments. The Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia recently down-scheduled psilocybin for therapy of treatment-resistant depression and MDMA for therapy of PTSD, increasing access to these treatments.