Research and evaluation

ReachOut.com is Inspire Ireland’s flagship programme and to date has been the focus of our research and evaluation plan. In its two years of operating ReachOut.com, Inspire Ireland has collaborated with academic and programme partners to assist with the development of innovative training, education resources and campaigns that promote positive mental health and improve mental health literacy.

Inspire Ireland’s research and evaluation strategy for 2012-2014 has been formulated to evaluate the impact of:

• ReachOut.com – Inspire Ireland’s flagship programme
• PleaseTalk – third level colleges campaign and signposting service
• Minding our mental health online – online training programme
• WorkOut – mental fitness application for young men
• Bridging the digital disconnect – research study targeting adult ‘gatekeepers’
• Get on board – an advocacy platform used in two elections to date
• Note to self – positive affirmations intervention.

Most of this research will be published and available through Inspireireland.ie, so keep an eye out.

The study design outlined in this strategy utilises both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

• In-depth interviews / case studies with ReachOut.com youth ambassadors and Inspire Ireland interns.
• Nationwide focus groups with young people aged 12-25 target population to be held once every three years.

• Exploration of web statistics to understand and evaluate trends in the behaviour of visitors to ReachOut.com.
• A cross sectional survey of visitors to ReachOut.com conducted via the website to be conducted annually.
• A sentiment analysis of comments posted on ReachOut.com.

• A pre and post- evaluation will be conducted with programme participants to explore levels of mental health and digital literacy and to determine the effectiveness of the programme. A six-month follow-up will also be conducted to explore the lasting impact of the training and any changes in behaviour. Minding our mental health online is currently being pilot-tested and will launch in September.

• Each WorkOut mission has a built-in evaluation component as the programme has been developed around the concept of measuring, tracking and improving your mental fitness. WorkOut was originally developed in Australia and an Irish version, which is currently being built, due to launch in June 2012.

• A needs assessment in relation to mental health literacy and digital literacy will be conducted with adult ‘gatekeeper’ stakeholder groups identified through an online survey.
• Focus groups and / or in-depth interviews will be conducted with a sample of parents of 12 to 25-year-olds.
• Following phase one research with parents, an online mental health literacy and digital literacy resource will be developed aimed at ‘bridging the digital disconnect’ with in-built evaluation mechanisms.

For more information, visit: http://www.yawcrc.org.au/user-driven-and-empowered/digital-disconnect

Ethical approval will be sought from an appropriate ethics committee for elements of this research strategy and has already been agreed for annual user-profile surveying from University College Cork and for Minding our mental health online from Trinity College Dublin. The health and well-being of all the young people who engage Inspire Ireland’s services remains paramount and will not be compromised in any way in the course of implementing this research and evaluation strategy.

For more information or to discuss any of the research and evaluation projects and proposals, please email [email protected] or call 021 431 7773.