Medibank grant to track impact of mental health initiative

Published

Thursday, April 9, 2026 - 11:25 AM

This article was originally published as an MCRI news item.

A new Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI)-led study will investigate whether early mental health support delivered in primary schools can continue to protect young people’s wellbeing into adolescence.

Dr Simone Darling was awarded a two-year, $200,000 Medibank Better Health Research Hub grant to investigate the longer-term impact of the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) initiative.

The longitudinal follow-up study of children involved in MHiPS between 2020 and 2022 will explore whether the duration and quality of participation in the initiative is linked to sustained improvements in mental health, wellbeing and other outcomes during adolescence.

In Australia, one in 12 children aged four to 11 years have a diagnosed mental health disorder, and 20 per cent experience mental health difficulties that affect daily living.

To help, MHiPS launched in 2020 as a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing, developed by MCRI in partnership with the University of Melbourne and supported by the Victorian Department of Education and philanthropic organisations. The initiative is now accessible to all 1800 Victorian government and low-fee non-government primary schools.

A newly released evaluation report found that 80 per cent of MHiPS schools saw improvements in students’ mental health and wellbeing within two years.

“In our follow-up study – in partnership with the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Education – we will draw on existing evaluation data from around 600 families, alongside new follow-up measures collected when the students are in years seven to 10,” Dr Darling, of MCRI’s Policy and Equity group, said.

“By linking parent, student, teacher and school data over time, the team will examine mental health trajectories and related outcomes such as emotional literacy, self-regulation, resilience, help-seeking and engagement in learning and school life.”

Researchers will also investigate whether participation in MHiPS during primary school affects mental health service use, and will consider the opportunity costs of the initiative and the extent to which early investment in prevention can generate potential savings for the health system.

The work aims to build a clearer picture of how early, school-based prevention can shape outcomes for young people and potentially ease demand on the broader health system.

Dr Darling said the funding would help answer a critical question for prevention.

“We really want to know whether early, practical support delivered through schools continues to make a difference as young people face the social, emotional and academic changes of adolescence,” she said.

The project is among the latest grants announced by the Medibank Better Health Research Hub, which supports areas of health and health system need including community mental health and wellbeing.

This article was originally published as an MCRI news item.