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People using Mind Australia’s support services are achieving significant improvements to their mental health and wellbeing.

Mind’s 2022-2023 Annual Report shows in easy to follow infographics how people are achieving significant improvements across Mind’s five major service streams – youth services, psychosocial recovery services, specialist services, housing with support, and sub-acute bed based support.

Mind’s outcomes research shows young people achieved a range of positive outcomes including improved rates of employment and a greater sense of control and wellbeing after accessing support at Mind’s youth residential and outreach support services.

People accessing psychosocial recovery services such as Mind’s LGBTIQA+ Aftercare support service achieved significant reductions in psychological distress including depression and anxiety after accessing these services.

People who accessed specialist support such as the Wellbeing4U service Mind provides for Bupa private health insurance customers are also achieving significant reductions in psychological distress including depression and anxiety after accessing these services.

Residents of two evaluated Haven residences had 86 per cent fewer hospitalisations or clinical residential admissions compared to the year before they moved into a Haven residence. Haven residences provide long term housing with support for people with significant long term mental health and wellbeing concerns.

People using sub-acute bed based services (SUSDs and PARCs) reported significant improvements across a range of mental health and wellbeing indicators at the completion of their stay. These include the ability to cope from day to day and manage daily tasks, feeling more comfortable around other people, and having more hopes and dreams about the future. These services provide shorter, targeted support in a residential setting that helps people avoid a hospitalisation or helps them transition back into the community after a hospital stay. 

We undertake research to ensure our services and programs are best practice and to build an evidence base to measure their effectiveness.
- Dr Laura Hayes, Research and Evaluation Manager, Mind Australia

“We undertake research to ensure our services and programs are best practice and to build an evidence base to measure their effectiveness,” Mind’s Research and Evaluation Manager Dr Laura Hayes said. 

“Our research division constantly evaluates our services and assesses the wellbeing and recovery outcomes our service users achieve, using internationally recognised validated survey tools such as the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). This helps to continually improve our services and ensure our service users achieve their recovery goals.”

Outcome measures are typically undertaken by asking service users to describe or rate their mental health and wellbeing across a range of indicators, at both the beginning and at the completion of their engagement with the support service. Researchers can assess their improvement by comparing their responses from service entry to those at service exit.

An additional 40 new Mind services began using its digital outcome measuring program this financial year. This includes new outcomes dashboards that enable service managers to use real time data to inform and follow their service user’s recovery.

Explore the Mind Australia Annual Report.

If you would like more information about Mind services near you, contact us via Mind Connect or phone: 1300 286 463.