A recent study demonstrates that headspace Work and Study is an effective service for supporting young people with their vocational needs

New research published in The Journal of Medical Internet Research demonstrates that headspace Work and Study is an effective service in supporting young people with their vocational needs.   

More than ever before, young people need support with their work or study situation given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation recently undertook an evaluation to explore the appropriateness and efficacy of its online headspace Work and Study service, drawing on service use data from 1,139 young people and conducting a survey that was completed by 137 young people who participated in the service.  

The findings confirm that work and study support can be effectively delivered online to help young people living with mental health challenges, and is particularly useful for those with difficulty accessing in-person services.  

Key findings include:  

• 86% indicated they would recommend the service.  
• 82% agreed that the service was meeting their expectations. 
• Most respondents found it beneficial that no travel was required and close to half indicated the online service delivery was less confronting than face-to-face support.  
• Positive work and/or study outcomes were achieved by close to half of participants, with analyses indicating the likelihood of outcomes increased with more sessions received. 
• More than three quarters indicated that the work and/or study assistance they received had helped them feel confident they could manage their situation going forward. 

Carolyn Watts, Head of Vocational Programs at headspace said, “These findings demonstrate that scalable online services such as headspace Work and Study are an ideal option to reach and support more young people across Australia, who are being impacted by the pandemic through limited mobility, loss of work and disruption to education”. 

Ms Watts said that headspace Work and Study appears to be purpose built for such unprecedented times. Recent federal government announcements have ensured that headspace Work and Study is not only scaled up to increase its reach, but also extended for another three years. This funding allows for ongoing partnerships with headspace centres as well as providing direct support to the general youth population whose mental health is a barrier to achieving their work and study goals. 

headspace Work and Study provides tailored online support to 15-25 year olds and has helped over 2,000 young people in developing the skills, capacity and confidence to reach their work and study goals.  

To read the journal article, click here or for more information about headspace Work and Study visit work and study support.