HONcode certificate: respect of the 8 HONcode principles by the health website

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Certificate of compliance with the Code of Conduct HONcode

The health Website
Mood Garden
is in compliance with the HONcode

Title of the site: Mood Garden
Web address: http://www.moodgarden.org/
HONcode PIN number : HONConduct352676
Date of initial review: 13 Dec 2006
Validity of certificate 02 Feb 2012 - Feb 2014
Date of last visit 02 Feb 2012
Show the HONcode seal on this site

This certificate confirms the revision of the site by the HONcode Team at the above date.
It respects and pledges to honor the 8 principles of the HON Code of Conduct (HONcode).

* 1. Authoritative 2. Complementarity 3. Privacy 4. Attribution 5. Justifiability 6. Transparency
7. Financial disclosure 8. Advertising policy

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The Health on the Net (HON) certificate serves as a guarantee that this website, at the date of its certification, complies with and pledges to honor the 8 principles of the HON Code of Conduct as drawn up by the HON foundation.

The responsible of the certified site commits to keep the site in compliance with the HON code principles for the duration of the certification.

Although measures such as a complaint mechanism, the periodical review and the automatic surveillance mechanisms are put in place to guarantee the compliance of the certified website with the ethical principles of HON as much as possible, incidental inaccuracies cannot be completely excluded. In no event the HON foundation and/or its partner(s) can be held liable for any damages resulting from the use or inability to use HON certified websites nor can the HON foundation and/or its partner(s) be held liable for the content of these certified websites, including, but not limited to the information of third-parties or hyperlinks accessible via HON certified websites.

The certified website is responsible for the content of its website, unless otherwise provided by law.

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You will find below the elements identified by the HONcode team at a precise date to justify the respect of the 8 ethical principles.

The content of this certificate has been collected and written by the Health On the Net Foundation (HON) and should not be used without previous permission granted by HON. A request for permission can be sent to: HON.

1. Information must be authoritative

We are not mental health professionals
(27 Jan 2012) -

For the collaborative platform:

Mood Garden forums are moderated and members are required to abide by forum guidelines. Members participate as peers and are not mental health or medical professionals.
(02 Feb 2012) -

2. Presentation of the site
Mission:

Mood Garden is an independent website, providing information, support and fun for people dealing with mood or related "disorders", via online forum.
(27 Jan 2012) -

Audience:

Mood Garden ( forum ) is a safe haven for people with depression and bipolar "disorder", and related conditions like anxiety / panic disorders.
(27 Jan 2012) -

For the collaborative platform:

Forum participation is open to anyone over the age of 18. Most of our members are from the U.S. and content generally mentions brand names used in the U.S. We also have members from Canada, U.K., Australia, The Netherlands, Italy, India, Finland and Philippines, at present.

(08 Mar 2011) -

Purpose of the website

We are not mental health professionals; no content on this site is intended as professional advice. Always consult your physician, psychiatrist or therapist before acting on any suggestions you may find here.
(27 Jan 2012) -

For the collaborative platform:

Please note: We are not professionals. Content on this site should not be considered as treatment advice. Always consult a mental health professional before acting on any information or experience you find on this site.
(08 Mar 2011) -

3. Confidentiality

Privacy Policy

As a site dedicated to people with mental illnesses, Mood Garden is sensitive to the privacy of the information shared by you on our site and the information we collect from you.

The main site itself does not collect any personally identifiable information or medical information (eg. name, phone number, address, or diagnosis). We request that you do not disclose personally identifiable information to others on our forum or chat; our moderators have been instructed to remove any such information when they come across them. There is no t... (27 Jan 2012) -

For the collaborative platform:

Forum guidelines are clearly written and posted for all to see. Moderators may edit or delete member posts that affect the smooth functioning of the discussion in the forums. Member(s) are notified of any such edits or deletions. Members violating guidelines are warned repeatedly before being banned. Bans are often temporary in nature.
(02 Feb 2012) -

4. Information must be documented: Referenced and dated

For the collaborative platform:

Members share information from personal experience. Members are requested to provide references where health/medical information being shared on the website is not based on personal experiences.
(02 Feb 2012) -

Last updated: April 12, 2011
(27 Jan 2012) -

For the collaborative platform:

Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:05 am
(08 Mar 2011) -

5. Justification of claims

Not applicable

For the collaborative platform:

Members are requested to ensure that information shared is true and correct to the best of their knowledge.
(02 Feb 2012) -

6. User support and adequation

Please send us your questions, comments or suggestions. Thank you!
(27 Jan 2012) -

7. Disclosure of funding sources

At this point Mood Garden is not incorporated, but operates on a non-profit basis (100% of the donations go towards expenses for the operation of the site). We are funded by caring individuals on our forum who send in voluntary donations via our donations page. Members of our forum are given access to our financial records (the donations we receive, without stating member names; and expenses related to operation of the website). We do not receive funding from pharmaceutical companies or other organizations
(27 Jan 2012) -

For the collaborative platform:

Volunteers called Administrators and Moderators care for Mood Garden.
(02 Feb 2012) -

8. Advertising policy

we do not carry advertisements on our site.
(27 Jan 2012) -

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