Heavy drinking and depression often happen at the same time, which harms those individuals, the communities they live in, and the health and social care system. Good treatments are available but not always offered by health and social care providers. The stigma attached to substance use and mental health can act as a major barrier to patients accessing the right help. Additionally, support services for alcohol and depression are often poorly coordinated, and health and social care providers do not always find it straightforward to work together. This means that some heavy drinkers are not able to access support for any additional mental health concerns. Improving the joint working of alcohol and mental health services is a top priority for the UK Department of Health & Social Care. Using new digital technology, such as websites and mobile phone applications, and sharing electronic information on patients, with their consent, could help achieve this. However we first need to fully understand the problems that heavy drinkers with depression, and their care providers, experience. We also need to be sure that any future solution meets the needs and concerns of the people that we hope to help.