Research and evaluation underpin all of Beyond Blue's work, reflecting our commitment to evidence-based practice and continuous improvement.
We play an active role in supporting and generating research that informs how we support the community, ensuring that evidence is used to create change and impact.
Since inception, Beyond Blue has invested over $68 million into mental health research in depression, anxiety and suicide prevention.
Beyond Blue commissioned CSIRO to explore how Australia’s mental health landscape could evolve over the next decade by applying foresight methodology, examining emerging trends, stakeholder insights, and creating a set of plausible future scenarios.
The report aims to support more forward-looking decision-making about the capabilities, choices and system settings needed to strengthen mental health and wellbeing across a range of possible futures.
Beyond Blue is focused on translating research knowledge and insights, and building our data capabilities to amplify community insights, not only to inform our own policy and advocacy positions, but to share and support change across the system.
Beyond Blue is both a funder and a translator of research evidence into; policy, practice and behaviour change through our advocacy, programs and services. This is implemented through complementary mechanisms including:
Commissioning research and evaluation to support Beyond Blue’s program and service delivery.
Investment in large scale, collaborative research programs.
Supporting investigator-led research proposals.
Knowledge translation activities which support research findings to be applied both within Beyond Blue and by others.
Australia’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Check is conducted by Beyond Blue in partnership with The Social Research Centre (SRC) as a representative survey of mental health and wellbeing trends among the Australian population.
The most recent survey was conducted in July 2024 and sampled over 5,000 adults aged 18 years and older. This report presents an overview of key findings and some comparisons to 2022 findings.
Through a Research Partnership Grants Scheme, Beyond Blue has partnered with a selection of research teams on National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Partnership Grants and Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grants. The following are projects that Beyond Blue are currently working with:
The Bridging Study (Navicare): Evaluating Navicare to improve mental health service access in regional Australia. The Bridging Study is led by Professor Zephanie Tyack from Queensland University of Technology.
COMPAS-S: Checking on Mental health - Providing Alternatives to Suicide for Students. COMPAS-S is led by Dr Penelope Haskin from Curtin University.
Healing Spirit, Healing Minds: A co-designed holistic healing approach to promote social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and adolescents. This is a First Nations Research Led project by Dr Hayley Williams from The University of Queensland.
(LYAS) Sleep for Strong Souls: A co-designed sleep health program for better social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations youth. The LYAS project is led by Professor Fatima Yaqoot from University of the Sunshine Coast.
Counting on U: Protecting the mental health of small-medium enterprise owners; evaluating real-world approaches to mental health first aid and client relationship building training for small business owner. The Counting on U project is led by Professor Andrew Noblet from Deakin University.
Changing Children’s Chances: Stacking interventions for equitable child health and development: building evidence to support precision policy. Changing Children’s Chances is led by Professor Sharon Goldfeld from The Centre for Community Child Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.
First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.
Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.
Premier partners
The following initiatives are linked to Beyond Blue’s core activities and research priorities.
In support of Beyond Blue’s continuous improvement and learning, and as part of our funding agreement with the Commonwealth Department of Health, Beyond Blue commissions an independent evaluation at the end of each funding period.
An evaluation of Beyond Blue's previous strategy period (2020-2023) was completed in December 2023.
The summary and full evaluation reports are available below, along with Beyond Blue's response to the evaluation and the opportunities it presented:
