Is headspace making a difference to young people’s lives?

Appendix C
information relating to the prevalence of mental illness and its correlates at a population level
(Kessler et al., 2010) it is now widely used by service providers to identify non-specific psychological
distress as well as mental health disorders in individuals (Slade et al., 2011; Sunderland et al.,
2012). Whilst the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale is not intended to be used as a diagnostic
tool, it aims to measure psychological distress, and high scores in the Scale have been found to be
associated with psychological disorders (Victorian Government, 2010).
The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale is available in a number of formats; the K10, K10+ and
the K6 (Siggins Miller Consultants, 2003). Each are a brief self-report style questionnaire comprised
of questions related to how a person has been feeling over the last 30 days, with each question
answered, and scored on a 5 point Likert scale ranging from “none of the time” to “all of the time”
(Slade& Andrews., 2001; Fassaert et al., 2009; Siggins Miller Consultants, 2003). The K10 is a 10
item self-report questionnaire that is used to measure levels of psychological distress and is scored
between 10 and 50. Higher scores indicate higher and more severe distress, while lower scores
indicate less distress (Slade & Andrews, 2001). In this evaluation, K10 scores are categorised based
on Australian Bureau of Statistics health surveys into low (10-15), moderate (16-21), high (22-29) and
very high (30-50). The evaluation has relied heavily on the K10 because it is an outcome measure
that is included in both the young people surveys and the hCSA.
The Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale
The social and occupational functioning of headspace clients was assessed using the Social and
Occupational Functional Assessment Scale (SOFAS). This scale assesses how a person’s physical
impairment and mental health may be affecting their functionality (Pederson & Karterud, 2012;
Romera et al., 2011). Functioning is measured on a scale from 10 (serious functional impairment)
to 100 (optimal functioning) with scores of 80 and above representing normal functionality (Romera
et al., 2011). Scores around 60 indicate a person may have moderate difficulty in functioning, while
scores around 70 represent adequate functioning though with some difficulty (Chanen et al., 2007).
SOFAS is rated by headspace service providers based on the following scale:
Enter a score on a scale of 1-100, as follows:
91-100: Superior functioning in a wide range of activities
81-90: Good functioning in all areas, occupational and socially effective
71-80: No more than a slight impairment in social, occupational, or school functioning
61-70: Some difficulty in social, occupational or school functioning
51-60: Moderate difficulty in social, occupational or school functioning
41-50: Serious impairment in social, occupational, or school functioning
31-40: Major impairment in several areas such as work or school, family relations
21-30: Inability to function in almost all areas
11-20: Occasionally fails to maintain minimal personal hygiene.
1-10: Persistent inability to maintain minimal personal hygiene
0: Inadequate information
SOFAS scores are recorded at almost all (88 %) occasions of service.
Survey of Young People
Three different surveys of young people were conducted as part of the evaluation, each with 2 waves
of data collection, conducted at two separate time points to measure change over time;
• A sample of headspace clients comprising the intervention group survey;
• A comparison group of 12-17 year olds using Young Minds Matter: The Second Australian
Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (YMM); and
• A comparison group of 18-25 year olds sourced from a national panel.
Initially it had been intended that each of these 3 surveys would be in the field at more or less the
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