HMS, HIC 2018 HSC 28b

Evaluation Statement:

• Actions implemented to support young people at risk of mental health issues demonstrate moderate effectiveness.
• Community-based programs show strong results while school-based interventions reveal limited long-term impact.

Community-Based Programs

• Headspace centres provide highly effective support for young people aged 12-25 experiencing mental health difficulties. These services offer accessible counselling, psychiatry, and peer support in youth-friendly environments located in shopping centres and community hubs. The program demonstrates strong effectiveness through early intervention approaches and integrated service delivery covering mental health, physical health, work and study support.
• For example, Headspace provides online support and eHeadspace chat services, reaching young people who cannot access physical centres.
• Statistics show significant improvements in help-seeking behaviours among participants, with reduced hospitalisation rates and improved educational outcomes.
• The program also offers family and carer support, recognising the importance of support networks. However, limited availability in rural areas reduces overall program reach, with many regional young people unable to access face-to-face services.

School-Based Mental Health Programs

• School counselling services and mental health literacy programs show partial effectiveness in supporting at-risk young people through prevention and early identification.
• Programs like MindMatters and KidsMatter provide comprehensive teacher training and student education about mental health awareness, resilience building and help-seeking strategies. These initiatives adequately address prevention by creating supportive school environments and reducing mental health stigma among students and staff.
• School-based programs reach large numbers of young people in familiar settings, making mental health support more normalised. However, evidence indicates limited success in providing intensive support for severely affected students requiring specialist intervention.
• Many schools lack qualified mental health professionals, relying instead on general counsellors who may not have specialised training in youth mental health. This creates significant gaps in service delivery, follow-up care, and crisis intervention capacity.

Final Evaluation

• Overall assessment shows moderate effectiveness in supporting at-risk young people with mental health issues.
• Community programs like Headspace demonstrate superior outcomes through specialised services, youth-centred approaches, and comprehensive support addressing multiple life domains.
• School-based programs provide valuable prevention and awareness but show limitations in intensive intervention capacity and specialist expertise.
• Weighing these factors reveals that combined approaches achieve better results, with schools identifying at-risk students and referring to specialist community services. However, geographic inequities, funding constraints, and workforce shortages limit optimal effectiveness for all at-risk populations, particularly those in rural and remote areas.