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

4. Outcomes of headspace Clients
because they offer those young people who are reluctant to access mental health services a soft
entry point into headspace. The survey of headspace Centre Managers indicates that the majority
(27 of 29 respondents) also believe the services to be ‘somewhat effective’ or ‘very effective’ in
improving clients’ physical health. Only two respondents felt that the services at their centre were
‘neither effective nor ineffective’ in improving clients’ physical health.
During interviews, a number of young people acknowledged the connection between mental and
physical health, and the reality that they were unlikely to change unhealthy behaviours until they felt
emotionally healthier:
I chafe easily. That’s because of my weight. I’ve unfortunately put on a bit of weight but it’s
because I don’t walk around enough. So that one’s just about me making a mental change
to be able to make a physical change. I’m not going to be able to do one before the other….I
want to sort out my head before I sort out the rest of me really because it’s the things in my
head that’s preventing me from getting out, going for walks, eating healthy. (Male, 22 years)
Research confirms that people with mental health problems are likely to have significantly lower
levels of physical activity (MIFA, 2011). It is therefore an important qualitative finding that a number of
young people reported that they were now more physically active because their mood had improved
and they were feeling more hopeful about their future.
Social outcomes
headspace aims to assist young people to participate in activities that reduce social isolation and
develop a supportive network of family and/or friends to aid recovery. headspace practitioners offer
a variety of specific social support services as part of the multidisciplinary model of care offered at
centres. This includes the provision of therapeutic counselling that can assist in reducing conflict
and improving relationships with family and friends. One practitioner at a fieldwork site described a
weekly program run in partnership between headspace, another local agency and the local school.
The aim of the program is to help those at risk of social isolation to build friendships and learn social
skills:
It’s learning about what are the skills that we use in terms of building good relationships, what
are the skills that we use in terms of managing our emotions, what makes us good
communicators, what do we do when we feel stressed out, how can we best support each
other? So it’s a whole lot of different social skills. (Youth Worker)
A number of headspace centres also run a drop-in space and conduct community-based activities
such as concerts where young people can meet and socialise.
A number of young people spoke of having few or no friends at school, of disengaging through nonattendance
and/or dropping out, and of becoming socially isolated:
I was horrible with school, I had no friends... Before that I was fine because I would just
ignore everyone, and then they started picking on me. So I would shut myself away from
the work and I couldn’t concentrate so I was failing at school... Then we moved here and I
started at [name] high school and they started picking on me, and I stopped going to school
because I had panic attacks at 5am in the morning, and I’d end up throwing up and feeling
really crap, so I wouldn’t go to school. I just ended up dropping out completely. (Female, 15
years)
I wasn’t very social a while ago, especially with my [abusive] ex just because I didn’t feel like
my mates were like his scene... so I didn’t socialise with them for ages, and barely ever
went out and all that but now I’ve got a new boyfriend but I’m seeing my mates more at the
moment because I haven’t seen a lot of them since high school... I was hiding under a
massive rock for a while. (Female, 20 years)
Interview data indicates that support aimed at improving the social participation of young people is
necessary. About half of those interviewed reported improved relationships with peers at school and
with family and friends since they had started attending headspace centres. While some interviewees
could not articulate a reason for improved relationships with family and/or friends, a few felt that it
was at least partly due to their improved mental health as well as feeling more confident and happier
in themselves:
Social Policy Research Centre 2015
headspace Evaluation Final Report
70