Research

Robust evidence is essential for driving effective policy and practice changes across the health and education sectors. Ongoing research into the MHiPS initiative is therefore critical to supporting the existing evaluation work and promoting sustainability and success for schools. 

Our published research

Innovations in Practice: Developing and Scaling the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) Initiative - Learnings to Advance Practice and Research. 2026. https://doi.org/10.25374/MCRI.32231847

Study protocol and framework for the monitoring and evaluation of the state-wide expansion of the mental health in primary schools initiative. 2025 https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2025-003570 

Feasibility and Acceptability of Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinators in Australian Primary Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study. 2025 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-025-09763-0

Barriers to Supporting Children’s Mental Health in Australian Primary Schools: Perspectives of School Staff. 2024 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2024.200323

Measures of mental health literacy for supporting children and their psychometric properties: A systematic review. 2024 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2024.200357

How are we measuring domains that influence teacher readiness for change? A scoping review of existing instruments in non-tertiary settings. 2024 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-024-09521-0

Supporting children’s mental health in primary schools: a qualitative exploration of educator perspectives. 2022 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-022-00558-9

Mental health and wellbeing coordinators in primary schools to support student mental health: protocol for a quasi-experimental cluster study. 2021 https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-11467-4

Barriers and enablers faced by regional and rural schools in supporting student mental health: A mixed‐methods systematic review. 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12794