Break O’Day Youth Live 4 Life Evaluation

Justification

In Tasmania, rates of suicide are among the highest in the country (15.2 deaths per 100,000 people) and well above the national average rate (12.1 deaths) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2018a). These statistics are supported by the literature which suggests that in rural settings, such as Tasmania, suicide rates are higher than metropolitan areas (Cassant & Helbich, 2022). The impact of suicide in regional and rural areas has also been demonstrated to have detrimental “ripple” effects, with relatively more people impacted due to the small populations and close-knit communities. This impact is further exacerbated by poorer access to mental health and support services (Hazell, Dalton, Caton, & Perkins, 2017).

Community-based suicide prevention models increase local capacity, and have become increasingly important in prevention efforts, often being leveraged as a community development mechanism (Allen et al., 2009). One community-based suicide prevention model was developed by Youth Live4Life; a health promotion charity that is federally funded to address rural youth suicide by providing education and youth suicide prevention specifically within rural communities. The Live4Life model, consists of four components;

1. School and Community Partnership Group (Partnership Group)
2. ‘The Crew’ – a local youth leadership and participation program that drives and supports community based events
3. Evidence-based Mental Health Education – delivered via Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses.
4. Mentoring and support by Youth Live4Life staff for communities implementing the model

Live4Life is currently operating in 10 rural Victorian communities, with several evaluations conducted to date across those sites. Youth Live4Life are trialling the implementation of Live4Life for the first time in a rural community outside of Victoria, and have chosen the Break O’Day municipality on the east coast of Tasmania.

A team from the UTAS CRH, in collaboration with Menzies and the School of Nursing has been funded to evaluate the implementation and impact of the model in the Break O’Day municipality over 2.5 years until February 2026.

Methods

The mixed methods evaluation will use a community participatory action research approach and will explore the processes of activity implementation, including challenges, opportunities and sustainability. The evaluation will seek to explore the short (6-12 months) and medium term (1-2 years) program outcomes as stated by Youth Live4Life and determine if the following anticipated outcomes have been achieved:

1. Increased knowledge of strategies for maintaining good mental health? (short and medium term)
2. Increased knowledge and confidence to act? (short and medium term)
3. Decreased stigma associated with mental illness? (medium term)
4. Increased referrals to mental health services? (medium term)