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

4. Outcomes of headspace Clients
Figure 4.10 Prevalence of self-harm in the last year across grouped K10 changes: by intervention
survey wave and gender
Note: Data for this analysis is sourced from the headspace intervention survey. Estimates of clinically significant change
were tested for the survey data and were shown to align well with hCSA data. Information about self-harm was specifically
collected within the survey data and is not available in the hCSA dataset. Sample sizes can be found in Appendix F.
Source: Authors’ calculations from headspace intervention survey data.
Economic and Social Participation
The evaluation examined the degree to which headspace clients reported a change in the number of
days out of role and days cut back in the last four weeks due to psychological distress. Clients were
again categorised according to the level of change in K10 scores between survey waves, and for
each grouping, the average number of lost days were calculated.
Figure 4.11 reports on the number of days in the last two weeks that headspace clients were
totally unable to work or study because of psychological distress, using information from the hCSA
administrative survey. The findings show a decrease in the number of days lost for those who
experienced a clinical improvement in K10 from 3.8 to 1.6 days. Those who showed a reliable
improvement in K10 also saw a similar reduction of days lost between their first and last occasion of
service – from 4.7 to 2.5 days in the last two weeks.
Figure 4.11 Number of days lost in last two weeks due to psychological distress, by K10 change and
OoS interval
Note: Young people attending headspace were asked how many days in the last two weeks they were unable to carry
out most of their usual activities at school, study, work or home. The available responses included 1. None; 2. 1-3 days;
3. 4-6 days; 4. 7-9 days; or 5. Most or all days. A midpoint was used to derive an average days lost measure. Cell sizes
can be found in Appendix F.
Source: Authors’ calculations from hCSA administrative data.
Social Policy Research Centre 2015
headspace Evaluation Final Report
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