Investigators
Francis Mitrou, Stephen Zubrick, Vu Vuong, Briana Guerrini, and Johanna Rewa
Project description
Mental ill-health is the leading cause of burden in youth aged 15 to 24 in Australia, with 75% of mental disorders beginning before the age of 25. While early intervention is critical for reducing the risk of negative short- and long-term outcomes, youth face a range of barriers when accessing health care. These barriers operate at the individual and systemic levels including barriers relating to (but not limited to) a lack of knowledge about mental health services, a preference for self reliance, time constraints, transportation difficulties, and high costs.
MOST, developed by Orygen Digital, is an online mental health intervention designed to address these service limitations and further support young people. MOST is an evidence-based initiative that provides free mental health support to young people aged 12 to 25, by providing access to psychotherapeutic content, one-on-one clinician support peer support, vocational support, and access to a safe, moderated, social network community. MOST is designed to be used adjunct or independent to face-to-face care and while it is in the process of being implemented in WA, it is currently only available by referral through select mental health services.
With the goal of further supporting the mental health of young people in Western Australia, from 2024-2026, this project seeks to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of MOST on young people and the system of care in Western Australia. Consequently, this mixed methods project will:
- Explore individuals' usage, engagement, and satisfaction with MOST
- Explore the perceived impact that MOST has on young people
- Explore the perceived impact that MOST has on the broader system of care
- Identify any patterns in usage, engagement, and perceived impact of MOST based on demographic profiles
- Develop a relationship map of MOST
Funders
Western Australia Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA)
External collaborators
Western Australia Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) and Orygen Digital